Five Reasons Banning Plastics May Harm the Environment and Consumers Plastic bags floating in the ocean resemble jellyfish, one of the main sources of food for some species of sea turtles, especially the critically-endangered Leatherback turtles. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. There are some great initiatives that strive to provide jobs for women in rural communities with limited possibilities of securing monthly income. Theyre in about a quarter of the seafood in our markets, and even in table salt. Since their birth, baby turtles have only one goal to get to the sea and swim into deep waters where they will feed and if successful grow into adult turtles. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. There are definitely differing opinions on whether or not plastic straws should be banned. They're not alone. State Disclosures. But a whopping 91 percent of all plastic isnt recycled at all. Recycling more plastic, more frequently, reduces its footprint. Facebook; Contact Now . The first answer to this question that comes to everyones mind is to stop using plastic bags, right? However, we are all too familiar with situations when a cashier automatically puts your items in a plastic bag before you can oppose it. Individual choicesand the collective shifts they bring aboutadd up quickly. A last example of a true horror caused by plastic has been discovered just recently. Most plastic straws are made from harsh chemicals making them impossible to reuse or recycle. Plastic bag litter has even caused great problems in some areas. Globally, 8 to 10 percent of our current oil supply goes to a plastic bag manufacture [4]. Also, giving a speech in . ), then its clean! Look around and you will notice that plastic bags are the most common litter. Should Plastic Straws Be Banned? | Persuasive Writing | Scholastic You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and What do the bans accomplish? Petroleum-based plastic bags are composed of very resistant synthetic polymers that may take up to 1,000 years or never until they completely degrade in natural environments [6]. NRDC scientist Jennifer Sass says yes and debunks the skeptics claim that in trying to wean ourselves off plastic bags, were only creating more troubles. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect absorption of some important trace elements (like iron) which we need for maintaining proper health [13]. Such changes could have outsized benefits for vulnerable populations that rely on rivers for their water supply. A 2017 Environmental Sciences and Technology study reported that up to 95 percent of plastic waste enters oceans from one of 10 riverseight in Asia and two in Africa. Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. Reduce Aesthetic value of your neighborhood. Most drop-off collection points accept plastic bags made from high-density polyethylene (plastic number 2) and low-density polyethylene (plastic number 4). You could either discuss with a store manager a possibility of bringing your own containers for these products. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. 12 Compelling Reasons For Banning Plastic Bags [2023 Update] - MindsetEco One recent survey found plastics in 94 percent of tap water samples in the U.S. and in nearly every brand of bottled water. Companies are forced to innovate, rethinking their designs and sourcing sustainable materials. But should plastic straws really be banned? For many in the disabled community, the availability of plastic straws is essential for their well-being and survival. Microplastics were found in soft drinks like Coca Cola, in tap water, in seafood It has contaminated our food chain, so it should not surprise us that it can be tracked in our body. Some countries have decided to do so after directly experiencing negative impacts of plastic bags, other countries have implemented the ban to reach their sustainability goals. So, plastic bag recycling facilities are few and far between and transportation to one could be expensive. 2. Es gratis registrarse y presentar tus propuestas laborales. For example, millions of discarded plastic bags clog water drainage channels and sewers in urban areas of Bangladesh. We shouldnt ban plastic straws if it creates an accessibility issue. For instance, a lot of the plastic produced in Asian countries is for products that serve U.S. demandand the United States often sends plastic waste back to these countries for recycling.). Plastic bags are everywhere. Then, the straw got stuck in the turtles nose after she/he tried to cough the straw back out. Car Modifications for Electric Vehicles: Whats Possible. Criddle has evaluated use of microorganisms to biodegrade plastic materials and to synthesize biodegradable bioplastics from waste feedstocks. There are many uses for plastic that are not only reasonable but important, such as surgical gloves, or straws for people with disabilities. . Sadly, one of their newly acquired enemies is created by us who should protect them instead. In this essay on should plastic be banned, it is very important to put forth the fact that there are many bodies of health and environmental governance around the world who argue that plastic ban can be problematic stating the following reasons-. Why Are Plastic Straws Bad for the Environment & Should Be Banned Ms. LISA PAI . It topped 60 million tons (54.4 million metric tons) in 2010 based on a September 2018 report titled "Plastic Pollution."But China announced it plans to outlaw the production and sale of . 10 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned Single-use plastics are a glaring example of the problems with throwaway culture. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. While these countries and municipalities have been making strides in their part of reducing circulation of plastic bags, in total there are 195 countries in the world [19] and the issue of plastic pollution is still getting out of our hands. Its because Asian and US coastlines release large amounts of plastic waste in the ocean [7]. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option. Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. Ban of Plastic Can be Problematic. Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? Our reliance on these plastics means we are accumulating waste at a staggering rate. 8 good reasons to give up plastic straws - CareElite Why? What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? 23 Reasons Why we should ban Plastic Bags | Environment Buddy Well, lets have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now. These microscopic plastic fragments, no more than 5 millimeters long, are hard to detectand are just about everywhere. As a result, the actual recycling rate for plastic bags globally is between 5 to 15 percent, while in the United States it makes only 1 percent a year [17]. Plastic bags and plastic products overall contain substances that are harmful to our health. A wave of single-use plastic bans is sweeping the country and the globemost often on plastic bags, straws, stirrers, and takeout clamshells. Post date: 18 yesterday. In my opinion, plastic straws should not be banned outright, because many disabled people require plastic straws to drink. What can I do for you? Learn how your comment data is processed. Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste. We can also decrease costs through improved bioprocessing methods, through metabolic engineering and by exploring and harnessing the incredible diversity of bioplastic-making systems that evolution has already created. Let us know if you liked this article. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy How? Plastic straws are everywhere we look. Single use plastics wreak havoc on wildlife and the earth. Plastic straws are not the first iteration of straws. In 2015 a mere 24 of these ethane cracker facilities in the United States had the combined carbon output of 3.8 million passenger vehicles. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. update email soon. Our plastic addiction is having a devastating impact on our oceans, our wildlife, and our health. Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics have been produced, and half of that in the past 15 years alone. LEAPE:Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of the problem less than 1 percent. Greenwashing Alert: Chemical Recycling Isnt Actually Recycling. Items made of plastic that come into contact with food can be recycled, whereas products made of paper that absorb both food and garbage cannot. Starbucks recently announced that it would phase out use of plastic straws by the year 2020. They also arent accepted by recycling facilities because they can jam recycling machinery (due to their small size). Its also important to look at the bigger picture regarding plastic bans. (Source: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment), Stanford scientists are among a growing number of researchers harnessing artificial intelligence techniques to bring more realistic representations of ubiquitous atmospheric ripples into global climate models. This means that you need to first educate yourself about the problem. New York State and Hawaii just passed theirs, set to go into effect in 2020, and Californias bag ban, which was passed in 2014, has been shown to have reduced plastic bag usage by 85 percent (with some customers opting to pay a 10 cent fee for thicker plastic bags) and has reduced coastal pollution. So that free plastic bag isnt so free after all. Straws, Ives says, made the perfect target: too inconsequential to really be missed but so ubiquitous that their absence would be noticed. On average, taxpayers end up paying about $88 per year just on plastic bag waste [15]. Shuddering and unable to breathe, he vomited up five plastic bags. CRIDDLE:Cost is a huge issue. Such materials already exist in nature. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned - david-el.co.il Heres everything you need to know about the most ubiquitous (and avoidable) kind of plastic waste: the kind made to be tossed in mere minutes. Beached whales have been found with stomachs full of plastic trash. Getting rid of a single plastic straw may not have a very large effect on the environment. In Germany alone, we use 40 billion plastic straws every year. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. A Ban Could Harm Local Businesses If Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. According to some estimates, the cost of plastic bag cleanup is about 17 cents per bag [14] and the cost is paid by us once again. In fact, I just listed many reasons and points in this article that support both sides of the argument. Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? Over time, sun and heat slowly turn plastics into smaller and smaller pieces until they eventually become what are known as microplastics. NDLA National Disability Leadership Alliance: Nothing About Us Without Us. A laboratory photograph of microplastics found in the Corsica River in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Maryland, An albatross found dead with a belly full of plastic on Midway Atoll. Left alone, plastics dont really break down; they just break up. There are numerous reasons why PLA straws are not the right substitute for plastic straws . Many of the chemicals in plastics are known endocrine disruptors,and research has suggested that human exposure could cause health impacts including hormonal imbalances, reproductive problems like infertility, and even cancer. Lizzie Carr is shining a light on what is floating through the worlds waterways, and breaking athletic records along the way. Well, before putting it into the laundry basket, take a look at it closely. Activists Say Straws Should Be Banned Because They Are a 'Gateway Plastic' Advocates hope a straw ban will be the first step toward broader plastic prohibitions. It started with cardboard straws, but once plastic production in America increased, people realized it was quicker and cheaper to produce plastic straws. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. Once a person gets into the habit of bringing reusable bags when shopping, it is not much of an inconvenience at all. This type of plastic is derived from petroleum. Thoughtful laws are needed to control the problem and at the same time encourage innovation. By being aware about these issues, you will be ready to present some strong arguments why plastic bags should be banned in your area and answer questions of people who will become your ally if you will persuade them about your good intentions. This is because the customers voluntarily reduce their consumption of plastic bags, which in turn provides enough time for retailers to find suitable alternatives and switch to them. You cannot recycle them in the regular curbside collection of plastic, but you should be able to find many larger food stores and retailers (for example: Target, Walmart, Tesco, Morrisons, etc.) The decrease in demand for plastic bags forces manufacturers to reduce their production and consider expanding in a supply of alternative products. Tiny plastic particles have been found in human feces. Gas, bloating, and intestinal discomfort. Recently, however, plastic straws have been the subject of many plastic bans in an attempt to help the environment. These examples could go on for a long time. We should do likewise. Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. The explanation is quite simple. Even human footprints left in the sand represent mountain-like obstacles in their path and waves washing up on the beach are another challenge, as they thrust them back on the dry land to try once again before finally being picked up by a return current and start swimming for their life. Search for jobs related to Reasons why smoking should be banned articles or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. Considering what important source of food plankton is for many other species, it is clear that plastic gets distributed across the marine ecosystem. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. 10 Reasons You Should Give Up Plastic Straws - sustainablemotown Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. In countries with a lack of awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags, a polite refusal might not be met with much understanding. The people of Macon, Georgia, saw through it. 5 Metals in your Home that can be Recycled for Cash, How exactly bidets offer a healthier, green option for your bathroom, A Closer Look at General Motors (GM) Sustainability Initiatives. What about you? But only a few of us realize that each time we accept those disposable plastic grocery bags at store checkout, we actively participate in wasting energy and depleting non-renewable resources. These actions are a response to calls for change and shifting consumer habits. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Bags Should Be Banned | Greentumble Look for another place that does accept or use alternative packaging, such as small local stores that use paper wraps or compostable bags. Additionally, awareness raising campaigns create a social pressure that should inspire local government and institutions to help in making changes at a bigger scale, like a regional ban or levy. Carrying reusable bags and bottles is one great way to avoid single-use plastics in our day-to-day lives; more on preventing plastic waste can be found below. Buy in bulk. Even if you can't go zero waste entirely, it's high time we all ended our reliance on single use plastics. (Everything You Need To Know). However, one thing we know, is that by introducing a pollutant that may never break down in the environment can have implications that will far exceed any of our predictions. [PDF] Skip The Straw - 10 Reasons Fact Sheet - Kids. Communities and consumers can play vital roles in sparking action. Criddle isdirector of StanfordsCodiga Resource Recovery Center,a member ofStanford Bio-Xand an affiliate of thePrecourt Institute for Energy. The majority of this pollutiondominated by single-use plastic wastecomes from countries lacking infrastructure to properly manage waste, particularly in Asia. For the oceans sake, wed better hope so. According to a study carried out in 2013, up to 35 percent of turtle deaths were caused by plastic ingestion and the probability that sea turtles will consume even more plastic increases every year [9]. They are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials. A plastic straw ban would serve to reduce the number of plastic straws entering the ocean. Plastic waste, mostly broken down into tiny particles, floats in huge blobs amid ocean current patterns called gyres that together cover as much as 40 percent of Earths ocean surface. Which brings us to the second part. Not only is plastic estimated to kill millions of marine animals and seabirds each year, but its also contaminating seafood that humans have relied on for millennia, particularly with microplastics in animals guts. 12 Reasons for Banning Plastic Bags: Plastic Bags Are Made With Non-Renewable Energy Plastic Bags Use Up Lots Of Energy Plastic Bags End Up In The Ocean Beach Plastic Litter Is On The Rise Plastic Bags Kill Millions Of Animals Every Year Plastic Takes A Long Time To Disintegrate Plastic Is Harming The Ocean's Coral Plastic Bags Contain Toxins Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. How exactly does the use of plastic do harm to the environment?Plastic has a very long half-life in the environment, during which it poses a danger to animals and spreads toxic chemicals.Additionally, plastic is a contributor to the warming of the planet.Nearly every type of plastic is manufactured using chemicals that are leftover from the manufacturing of fossil fuels, which contribute to global warming (gas, oil and even coal). Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education. Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. Ill talk about this more in the next section: By itself, a plastic straw ban is unlikely to have a large impact on the environment. This means that the average consumption of plastic bags per person dropped from 328 bags per year to just 21 [20]. Criddle and Leape are also senior fellows at theStanford Woods Institute for the Environment. What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers? Not easy to recycle 7. The Last Straw: 5 Reasons You Should Ditch Plastic Straws Instead of searching for another buyer, maybe some soul-searching is in order. Well, a possible alternative solution could be to encourage businesses to only give out plastic straws on request. America Needs a Plastics Intervention. New research shows their prolific dam building benefits river water quality so much, it outweighs the damaging influence of climate-driven droughts. Marine animals bear the burden of this influx of garbage into their habitats. McDonald's recently announced . In early January 2020, China joined the growing movement of more than 120 countries pledging to ban single-use plastics.The country of 1.4 billion citizens is the No. They suspect that it may add stress on the liver by introducing more pathogens into the body. And cracker plantswhich break, or crack, ethane molecules, a component of natural gas, into the chemical building blocks of plastic productsare energy intensive and highly polluting. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned - manufacturer, factory Individual actions can lead to collective actions. We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. and reefs composed of coral, F) I Plastic straws are one of the top five most often used items. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection In this article, Ill go over both the pros and cons of a plastic straw ban. A straw with our iced coffee, a plastic bag to carry our takeout, a wrapper on a candy bar: taken individually, each seems harmless. Help us break the cycle of causing unnecessary harm and damage in the name of "convenience". Banning straws may confer 'moral license' allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. 300 to 700 plastic bags pass through the hands of an average American in just one year [8] and a survey of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs concluded that the average household in the United Kingdom stores around 40 plastic shopping bags at home [2]. However, if a plastic straw ban is properly implemented with education about single-use plastics, then the ban could encourage the public to reduce their usage of other single-use plastics as well. Killing wildlife 5. Plastic fragments in the ocean such as those from plastic bags can absorb pollutants like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) easily. Here's a quick list of the ways plastic straws may be harming your health: 1. And, if you dont like wearing the same shirt or pants, Read More Dont wash it if it doesnt look dirtyContinue, At age 50, Kay is a little over halfway through her life as a driver. Heres everything you need to know before plastic carryout bags disappear from the Empire State on March 1. You are free to have your own personal opinion on whether or not we should ban plastic straws. Animals can also easily become entangled in this plastic waste. Why are Plastic Straws Bad and What are the Alernatives? If the answer is yes, you should know that this inadvertent overconsumption of single-use plastic carries with it a very high cost to the environment, which in turn also negatively affects our health. It is predicted that each year 8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean, with 1.152.41 tons of that plastic being carried there by major rivers all over the world. Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. If youd like to learn more about how plastic straws negatively impact the environment, you can check out this article I wrote about the environmental impact of plastic straws. Once the wheel starts spinning, it leads to even more positive changes. They discovered that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestl products were found most often. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems facing our world today. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. If environmental zealots and sycophants get their way, you won't be allowed to sip it through a plastic straw. Tushy Ace Review (After 3 Months): Is this Luxury Bidet Worth it? Communities with good awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags have been more successful at enforcing the ban [20]. Unfortunately, such costs are typically not included in most economic analyses, as they are not easy to calculate because the equation would have to involve many indirect variables. Why is plastic bad for the environment? And will a plastic straw ban actually be effective when it comes to saving our oceans and environment? There is only one requirement these plastic bags need to be dry and clean, otherwise they contaminate the entire batch and your effort will do more harm than good. And the recent fracking boom, resulting in a surplus of oil, is fueling a subsequent rise in cracker plants, too. Required fields are marked *. Divers, for example, descend 130 feet under the water, seek unique-looking creatures, and observe the marine world in all its glory. But these cases make up a small fraction of single-use plastic. CRAIG CRIDDLE: In addition to recycling more and reusing materials more, we need new materials that can do the same jobs as current plastics, but are biodegradable, nontoxic and do not concentrate in food chains. Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. The bottom line of any plastic ban is that we must use less single-use plastics overall. Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. Large producers of single-use plastics can make a big environmental impact. Some tributaries of the river have been filled with plastic waste to the level that you could almost walk across them without getting your feet wet. What Are Single-use Plastics and Should They Be Banned? Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. It is estimated that there are now 150 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean. (Photo credit: Shutterstock). A brief history of how plastic straws took over the world - Environment We should just stick to plastic. The crucial challenge is to ensure that these bans are just a first step, offering a natural place to start with low-hanging fruit so long as its part of a much more fundamental shift away from single-use plastics across the value chains of these companies and our economy. One of the most significant negative effects that plastic bags have on the natural world is that it takes a very long time for them to degrade.In addition, the breakdown of plastic bags in the sun results in the release of hazardous compounds into the surrounding soil, and the combustion of plastic bags results in the release of a poisonous material into the surrounding air, contributing to the problem of ambient air pollution.