They store these polymers inside their cells as tiny granules. Forty years after the launch of the first universal recycling symbol, only 14 percent of plastic packaging is recycled. The small pilot whale, found in a Thai canal this past June, is another symptom of a crisis in the worlds oceans. Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. Plastic straws are also the 6th most common trash item found during ocean cleanups. Straws don't provide as much utility as bags, so for many this is an easy adjustment. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. The phthalate DEHP, as just one example from dozens, is often added to plastic goods like shower curtains and garden hoses to make them more flexiblebut was also found to be a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Beyond the costs associated with the production and purchasing of plastic bags by retailers, there are many external costs that are often not considered. Such is the case with many environmental crises: the worst effects are pushed onto overburdened communities with the fewest resources to fight back. Reducing plastic use is the most effective means of avoiding this waste (and the impacts linked to plastic production and use). Search for jobs related to Reasons why smoking should be banned articles or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. Ms. LISA PAI . update email soon. They are tinier than a palm of your hand and appear so fragile when struggling across the beach to make it to the sea. Large producers of single-use plastics can make a big environmental impact. On their long journey, they will encounter many difficulties and only a small portion of them will survive. Although single-use plastic pollution accumulates most visibly on our streets, in fact our water suffers even more. A Ban Could Harm Local Businesses If The decrease in demand for plastic bags forces manufacturers to reduce their production and consider expanding in a supply of alternative products. 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]. According to the findings of a study that was carried out in 2019 by students at the University of Washington, 78 percent of respondents used straws made of biodegradable materials that are in compliance with the prohibition, and 68 percent used utensils that are in compliance with the ban. 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. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. America Needs a Plastics Intervention. 2023 Get Green Now. Increased awareness about the negative effects of single-use plastics would help the environment a lot more than just a simple plastic straw ban. (Everything You Need To Know)Continue, Many restaurants have banned plastic straws due to their harmful effects on the environment, and have switched to paper alternatives instead. No! Car Modifications for Electric Vehicles: Whats Possible. Oil and natural gas are non-renewable fossil fuel-based resources and through their extraction and production, they emit greenhouse gases, which contribute to global climate change. Her Stand-Up Paddleboard Is a Platform for Campaigning Against Plastic Pollution, A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields. New and sustainable business models are needed to address the current plastic deluge and also to enable a new generation of sustainable materials and technologies. Recycling more plastic, more frequently, reduces its footprint. 13.07.2022 Harry Brown THE TOP 10 REASONS TO DO NOT USE THE STRAW O This requires the usage of 500 million straws Straws and other items made of plastic are harmful Every day in the United States. Similar fate has met dolphins, seals, cats, dogs, deer and many other animals which got severely cut on their bodies due to plastic bag entanglement. Polyethylene terephthalate, one of the most commonly recycled plastics and the material that makes up most water and soda bottles, can be turned into everything from polyester fabric to automotive parts. A study analyzes water transactions that leave water in the river, and shows how they could be scaled up to avert cuts for major water users while supporting imperiled ecosystems. Microplastics are plastic debris that measures less than five millimetres, or 0.2 inches, in diameter. by TFK Kid Reporter Maria Suarez, 10 Bellaire, Texas Plastic straws should not be banned until we can find alternatives that are affordable, environmentally friendly, and acceptable for disabled people. Not only does the waste destroy the land itself, but when plastic is incinerated (as is the case for unrecyclable plastic at some illegal facilities) its toxic fumes quickly become a health hazard for residents, leading to everything from skin rashes to cancer. Since plastic bag recycling requires a specialized equipment that can break down the plastic and mold it into a new product, most municipalities do not have the budget to include their recycling in their waste management program. Buying a product through my link comes at no extra cost to you, and I only recommend products that I believe in. 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. Therefore, a plastic straw ban by itself is unlikely to be very effective in actually helping the environment, although it could act as a gateway into the reduction of other single-use plastics. 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. Some companies are taking initiative on their own. Tangled in trees and fences along roads, floating in water, lying on the ground in parks and forests, surrounding garbage bins, washed off on beaches. When the monsoon rains start, streets get waterlogged just after the first few minutes because the water cannot pass through clogged sewerage pipes. Problematic degradation 4. Plastic bags are often mistaken for food by animals, birds, and marine life. About; Disability Vote Blog; Organizer's Forum; Issues; News; NDLA Webinars Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. The very best alternative is a reusable bag. Most plastic straws are made from harsh chemicals making them impossible to reuse or recycle. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. 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]. the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution, Impact of Plastic Bags on the Environment, non-renewable fossil fuel-based resources, Plastic Bag Degradation: What You Should Know, Serious Effects of Plastic Pollution on Human Health. Yes, it should. Criddle has evaluated use of microorganisms to biodegrade plastic materials and to synthesize biodegradable bioplastics from waste feedstocks. Many people with disabilities rely on flexible straws to drink safely and independently. JIM LEAPE: Our oceans are currently swimming with plastics. Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. They're bad for the environment, kill marine life and damage human health. Companies are forced to innovate, rethinking their designs and sourcing sustainable materials. But beyond these impacts, the bans have cultural effects. Have a look yourself to imagine the suffering of these animals. Participate in beach or river cleanups. Already in 2001, researchers found that the mass of microscopic plastic fragments in the North Pacific Central Gyre was 6 times higher than of plankton. At the beginning of July 2018, Seattle became the largest U.S. city to ban plastic straws. 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]. Lizzie Carr is shining a light on what is floating through the worlds waterways, and breaking athletic records along the way. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. What does occur in most instances is that when out in the environment, the plastic breaks up into tiny microscopic pieces that get deposited in soils (where we grow food) or contaminate waterways. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? Paper straws cannot be recycled in any way. Straws made of paper are neither recyclable nor capable of decomposition. They prevent millions of tons of plastic from entering the waste stream each year. Some experts estimate that more than 1 million sea animals are killed each year by straws and other types of plastic trash. This blog covers a variety of topics including plastic pollution, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and much more. Plastic straws are everywhere we look. Plastic is putting a strain on waste management systems, our oceans, and vulnerable communities the world over. Let us know if you liked this article. It is good for our environment, health and global climate. Plastic is not the largest contributor of pollution and the . (Photo credit: Shutterstock). Single-use plastics are a glaring example of the problems with throwaway culture. That's a whole 900 tons of plastic waste produced every day, and that's just for plastic straws! Cause of environmental pollution 2. The following are ten lines on why plastic bags need to be prohibited: 1) The careless disposal of trash in plastic bags leads to an increase in litter.2) The use of plastic bags contributes to the depletion of our natural resources, including water, trees, and agricultural products.3) Because of the danger it causes to marine life, the total Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy O This requires the usage of 500 million straws, Straws and other items made of plastic are harmful, Every day in the United States. Among the U.S. cities to outlaw plastic straws are Malibu, Berkeley, Seattle, and Miami Beach. 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. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, Plastic, in general, is one of the biggest pollutants in the world. All you need to do is paste your ZIP code and then see the list of stores with bag drop-off in your nearest location. These are known to be hormone-disrupting chemicals. 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. 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. Prior the ban, 70 percent of livestock losses were attributed to plastic bag ingestion. These tiny plastic particles have been found in our oceans, soil, and even in the air. How? Quick Navigation for Reasons Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Banned, [1] https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/25496/singleUsePlastic_sustainability.pdf, [2] https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/getting-rid-of-plastic-bags-a-windfall-for-supermarkets-but-it-wont-do-much-for-the-environment/, [3] https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/2018/04/09/plastic-chokes-dhakas-drainage/, [4] https://1bagatatime.com/learn/plastic-bags-petroleum/, [5] https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=2935417&page=1, [6] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-waste-pollution-trash-crisis/, [7] https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/10/12/124006/pdf, [8] https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/rare-sea-turtles-eating-plastic-at-record-rate, [9] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.12126, [10] http://www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr/index.en.php?id=934, [11] http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2008/12/plastic-bags-and-animals-making-the-wild-safe-for-wildlife/, [12] http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6374/460, [13] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/22/microplastics-found-in-human-stools-for-the-first-time, [14] https://1bagatatime.com/learn/plastic-bag-clean-costs/, [15] http://www.bagmonster.com/2010/04/the-true-cost-of-single-use-bags.html, [16] http://www.cep.unep.org/cep-documents/unep-press-release-on-the-effects-of-plastic-waste-on-marine-ecosystems.pdf, [17] https://greentumble.com/can-plastic-bags-be-recycled/, [18] https://1bagatatime.com/learn/plastic-bag-clean-costs/, [19] https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/how-many-countries-are-in-the-world.html, [20] https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/25496/singleUsePlastic_sustainability.pdf. In my opinion, plastic straws should not be banned outright, because many disabled people require plastic straws to drink. Straws, Ives says, made the perfect target: too inconsequential to really be missed but so ubiquitous that their absence would be noticed. And will a plastic straw ban actually be effective when it comes to saving our oceans and environment? Such changes could have outsized benefits for vulnerable populations that rely on rivers for their water supply. Plastic bags. Starbucks recently announced that it would phase out use of plastic straws by the year 2020. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. A last example of a true horror caused by plastic has been discovered just recently. As it turns out, many microorganisms make moldable bioplastic polymers that are fully degradable. Starting in the 1960s, plastic straw manufacturing took off. The majority of this pollutiondominated by single-use plastic wastecomes from countries lacking infrastructure to properly manage waste, particularly in Asia. According to market research firms, Americans use about 350 million plastic straws every single day. Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as time and place elements, style, and grammar); you cant resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you cant republish our material wholesale or automaticallyyou need to select stories individually; you can't republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when youve used one of our stories. They are also capable of being ingested by fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, which in turn causes the animals injury and, in the case of fish, allows them to enter the human food chain. These dyes on their own can leach toxins, but they can also be contaminated with traces of heavy metals such as lead or cadmium, both of which affect kidney health and proper functioning of other organs. What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? 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. It started with cardboard straws, but once plastic production in America increased, people realized it was quicker and cheaper to produce plastic straws. China 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned Manufacturers, Supply 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned with High Quality, Wholesale 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned with Low Price, High Quality. You are free to have your own personal opinion on whether or not we should ban plastic straws. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. Yeah I end up going through like 5 paper straws because they keep disintegrating and I can't drink my drink anymore. These costs include the true environmental costs of resource extraction and depletion, the loss of quality of life, economic loss from littering, and wildlife loss. The truth is that we do not know yet the full scale of negative impacts plastic waste can have on marine and terrestrial environments because it hasnt been around long enough to allow us to assess possible scenarios of its influence on natural cycles. Facebook; Contact Now . Most drop-off collection points accept plastic bags made from high-density polyethylene (plastic number 2) and low-density polyethylene (plastic number 4). 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-. The consumed plastic congests the digestive tracts of these animals, and can lead to health issues such as infections, painful intestinal blockage, starvation or death by suffocation. Unfortunately, such a high level of pollution doesnt come without consequences. Another indirect danger of plastic bags has breeding ground in the pollution they create. The first answer to this question that comes to everyones mind is to stop using plastic bags, right? Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. Well, lets have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Come with external costs 9. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. They're not alone. 4. But single-use plastics come with a steep environmental priceone that well be paying off for millennia. Es gratis registrarse y presentar tus propuestas laborales. Have you ever seen endangered sea turtles hatch? On other issues, from overfishing to deforestation, we have seen that consumer-facing companies like McDonalds, Unilever and Walmart can be exquisitely sensitive to the concerns of their customers. Such materials already exist in nature. So, retailers incorporate this cost hiddenly into prices of other items sold at stores. It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. Plastic fragments in the ocean such as those from plastic bags can absorb pollutants like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) easily. The Pasig River is the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution in the world. CRIDDLE:Cost is a huge issue. A complete ban on plastic straws would harm disabled people, which definitely isnt the goal of such a ban. NDLA National Disability Leadership Alliance: Nothing About Us Without Us. It may not seem like much, but when you imagine how many bags they have to provide throughout a year, you will quickly realize that plastic bags are costly. 82 percent of the responding food service establishments were aware of the prohibition, and 69 percent of those establishments viewed the ban favorably. Policies like bottle bill lawswhich generally require retailers to add a fee on individual bottles, which can then be partially redeemed by customers when they recycleare a way to increase corporate responsibility for waste while providing a monetary incentive to recycle. Plastic straws only account for roughly one percent of the total amount of waste plastic found in the ocean. The inaccuracy of this number calls into doubt the veracity of the overall case against using plastic straws as a drinking implement. According to a study that was published by Bloomberg News, it is predicted that the percentage of contaminated ocean water that is caused by plastic straws and stirrers is a shockingly modest 0.03 percent. There is a lot of research now underway on the health effects of ocean plastics, but we already know that some plastics, and the chemicals that attach themselves to plastics in the water, can cause cancer, genetic disruptions and other ill effects. 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. India, for example, generates 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day but collects only 60 percent of it. Now, lets get into the negatives of a plastic straw ban: While banning plastic straws might help the environment in some aspects (well talk about this later), there are also many reasons against (or cons) of a plastic straw ban. Rating: 5 (913 reviews) Highest rating: 5. Please share this message with your friends so that together, we can tackle our global plastic problem. 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.). Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. What do the bans accomplish? State Disclosures. According to estimates made by scientists, there are 7.5 million polluting straws around the shores of the United States, and anywhere from 437 million to 8.3 billion plastic straws throughout the coastlines of the rest of the globe. Better alternatives are available 10. And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. Stanford experts discuss the limitations of these bans and the potential for meaningful change. Plastic bag bansideally accompanied by a fee on paper bagsare also catching on. Even if plastic doesnt end up in the ocean, recycled plastic is often exported from high-income countries to developing countries to process. Juan Cristobal Cobo/Bloomberg via Getty Images. In effect, nature has designed this plastic for disassembly. A 2018 study of coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific has confirmed that plastic waste deposited on coral reefs promotes outbreaks of diseases that gradually destroy whole reef colonies [12]. As part of the Break Free From Plastic movement, Greenpeace volunteers conducted an audit of plastic pollution along coastlines, sifting through tens of thousands of individual pieces across 42 countries to identify the pollutions sources. Those global companies can be important levers in driving change and shifting to a regenerative, circular economy. Nearly 20 years ago, a dead pelican was found with its stomach filled with 17 plastic bags [10]. 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. This ban has led to an increase in the demand for sustainable plastic alternatives and has also created space for several plant-based materials in the market. Well, before putting it into the laundry basket, take a look at it closely. Animals can also easily become entangled in this plastic waste. 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. We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. The first country to ban single-use plastic bags was Bangladesh in 2002 when plastic bag litter clogged drainage channels and contributed to destructive floods. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. Help us break the cycle of causing unnecessary harm and damage in the name of "convenience". Spare Yourself the Guilt Trip This Earth DayIts Companies That Need to Clean Up Their Acts, These Fanciful Sea Creatures Were Carried in on the Tide. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. While an extra two cents may not seem like a lot, it could make a difference for some businesses that depend on plastic straws. Plastic use costs approximately $75 billion a year [16]. In countries with a lack of awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags, a polite refusal might not be met with much understanding. It means that most bags can be recycled. Plastic bags have become such a nuisance because we as consumers use them excessively even when not needed and authorities havent figured out effective ways of dealing with them as waste. Additionally, someone has to pay the cost of dealing with plastic bags in the waste stream. Look for another place that does accept or use alternative packaging, such as small local stores that use paper wraps or compostable bags. They are a part of our modern lives, and we dont tend to think much about them. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. We all know what the debate is between plastic and paper straws but paper straws are horrible they will immediately break apart in your mouth and feel horrible. 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. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. Each day, the United States of America uses 500 million drinking straws. We should do likewise. 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. In this article, Ill go over both the pros and cons of a plastic straw ban. Its also important to look at the bigger picture regarding plastic bans. In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11]. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems facing our world today. So that free plastic bag isnt so free after all. An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. Paper straws cost on average around 2.5 cents ($0.025), whereas plastic straws cost only half a cent ($0.005). Exposure to microplastics, as well as the chemicals that are added to plastics during processing, harm our health. The second, more fundamental imperative is to get plastics out of our waste stream. To align with global efforts, India banned single-use plastic items from July 1, 2022. A wave of single-use plastic bans is sweeping the country and the globemost often on plastic bags, straws, stirrers, and takeout clamshells. Using a straw directs a concentrated stream of liquid onto a localized area of the teeth, which can cause the enamel to wear away and lead to dental disease. Our waterway plastic pollution is particularly concentrated: Just ten rivers carry 93 percent of the worlds total amount of plastic that enters the oceans via rivers each year. Because of this, the plants and wildlife in the area have a potential risk of absorbing the microplastics through their diets and drinking water. McDonalds swapped its plastic straws for paper at its United Kingdom and Ireland restaurants. The majority of plastic bags are made of polyethylene, a substance that is derived from crude oil refining and natural gas processing. that do collect plastic bags and other plastic films and send them for proper recycling. Sadly, one of their newly acquired enemies is created by us who should protect them instead. Considering what important source of food plankton is for many other species, it is clear that plastic gets distributed across the marine ecosystem.

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