The problem with plastic straws is that they are one of the biggest causes of unnecessary plastic pollution. 1. Theyve even made their way up to the secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Buy in bulk. LEAPE:Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of the problem less than 1 percent. Facebook; Contact Now . Overall, the goal of a plastic straw ban should be to increase public awareness for single-use plastics and their nasty effects on the environment. But the sheer amount of plastic waste inundates communities until they are drowning under thousands of tons of plastic trash. Not only does banning single-use plastic reduce pollution, but it also reduces demand for plastic production thats contributing to global climate change. But, getting rid of all single-use plastics definitely will. update email soon. Many people with disabilities rely on flexible straws to drink safely and independently. An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. Other states such as Hawaii, cities such as Seattle and New York, and corporations such as Amazon and Starbucks are also considering or have initiated plastic phase-out plans. Coca-Cola has said that it alone produces three million tons of plastic packaging each year, equivalent to a terrifying 200,000 plastic bottles per minute. 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. Busca trabajos relacionados con Reasons why smoking should be banned articles o contrata en el mercado de freelancing ms grande del mundo con ms de 22m de trabajos. In countries with a lack of awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags, a polite refusal might not be met with much understanding. For example, millions of discarded plastic bags clog water drainage channels and sewers in urban areas of Bangladesh. Es gratis registrarse y presentar tus propuestas laborales. 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. Thats bad news for our carbon reduction goals: if plastic production continues unabated, its greenhouse gas emissions could reach 1.34 gigatons per year by 2030equal to adding nearly 300 new coal-fired power plantseven as the need to curb global climate change becomes more urgent. Our reliance on these plastics means we are accumulating waste at a staggering rate. 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. Individual choicesand the collective shifts they bring aboutadd up quickly. Although, really, these tips can be used by anyone, not just kids. The majority of plastic bags are made of polyethylene, a substance that is derived from crude oil refining and natural gas processing. Single use plastics wreak havoc on wildlife and the earth. ), then its clean! Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education. The answer isnt as simple as you may think: While its true that paper straws arent as harmful as plastic straws, this doesnt mean that, Read More Paper vs. These microscopic plastic fragments, no more than 5 millimeters long, are hard to detectand are just about everywhere. By simply using less plastic, you can help keep marine life from eating and getting entangled in garbage. China doesnt want our plastic waste anymore. According to the researchers, the turtle likely mistook the straw for food and swallowed it. The second, more fundamental imperative is to get plastics out of our waste stream. They discovered that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestl products were found most often. They're not alone. The trend has already started. The explanation is quite simple. Even if plastic doesnt end up in the ocean, recycled plastic is often exported from high-income countries to developing countries to process. Criddle has evaluated use of microorganisms to biodegrade plastic materials and to synthesize biodegradable bioplastics from waste feedstocks. Banning plastic straws is also increasingly popular. 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. 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. You should examine what alternatives are available and whether local retailers, who often operate with a limited monthly budget, have the ability to make the switch. 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]. InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. Alarmingly, scientists estimate that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight in 2050. Sadly, one of their newly acquired enemies is created by us who should protect them instead. They are a part of our modern lives, and we dont tend to think much about them. 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. 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. Forty years after the launch of the first universal recycling symbol, only 14 percent of plastic packaging is recycled. There are numerous reasons why PLA straws are not the right substitute for plastic straws . Our plastic addiction is having a devastating impact on our oceans, our wildlife, and our health. It is good for our environment, health and global climate. 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 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. Avoid individually packaged goods, like snack packs. Well, lets have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now. The bottom line of any plastic ban is that we must use less single-use plastics overall. 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. Please share this message with your friends so that together, we can tackle our global plastic problem. Single-use plastics are a glaring example of the problems with throwaway culture. Read more about us. For most, straws are not a necessity, but a convenience. Left alone, plastics dont really break down; they just break up. A plastic straw ban would serve to reduce the number of plastic straws entering the ocean. 2. O This requires the usage of 500 million straws, Straws and other items made of plastic are harmful, Every day in the United States. Our addiction to plastic also has negative impacts on the climate. Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. Plastics also permeate freshwater systems like rivers and streams. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they can drink. The crisis is so serious that many people are saying that plastic straws should be outlawed. This blog covers a variety of topics including plastic pollution, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and much more. There are definitely differing opinions on whether or not plastic straws should be banned. 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. 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. The ban also kept them from littering neighborhoods and the environment. 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. 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. 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. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. 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. While we may not pay for plastic bags directly when we go shopping, they are anything but free.. 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. Do you wonder why? Coca-Cola makes an estimated 110 billion plastic bottles a year. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. Post date: 18 yesterday. An Oregon community is making spectacular statues out of ocean plastic to raise awareness about a crisis at sea. Buying a product through my link comes at no extra cost to you, and I only recommend products that I believe in. These examples could go on for a long time. It has been projected that, if current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish. For example, a reusable jute bag should last at least 4 years, during which it can prevent the use of 600 single-use plastic bags. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good. 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. This means that the average consumption of plastic bags per person dropped from 328 bags per year to just 21 [20]. After all, ask your grandparents, they will remember that during their time people were used to go shopping with their own bags or baskets. The resulting number is staggering. A complete ban on plastic straws would harm disabled people, which definitely isnt the goal of such a ban. By comparison, an estimated 46 percent of all pollution in the ocean is made up of lost or abandoned fishing gear (Vox). 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. In Taiwan, which was once overflowing with so much trash that it spurred public protest and the nickname Garbage Island, companies now either manage their own waste or subsidize government-run infrastructure. But beyond these impacts, the bans have cultural effects. 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. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. Criddle isdirector of StanfordsCodiga Resource Recovery Center,a member ofStanford Bio-Xand an affiliate of thePrecourt Institute for Energy. Many of you may have heard it already. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. Animals can also easily become entangled in this plastic waste. Help us break the cycle of causing unnecessary harm and damage in the name of "convenience". Without proper education, few people would know the purpose of the ban, and they would continue using other single-use plastics which could be even worse for the environment. Microplastics are plastic debris that measures less than five millimetres, or 0.2 inches, in diameter. Consumer outrage about the plastics crisis is already commanding attention from big companies and from many governments. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option. 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. 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. So that free plastic bag isnt so free after all. In Germany alone, we use 40 billion plastic straws every year. Ask if they have nonplastic alternatives to plastic straws, stirrers, or bags. 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 However, in 2014, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) supported the first project to calculate the real cost of plastic, including adverse environmental impacts of its production, use and disposal. However, as an environmental enthusiast, heres what I think about this ban. Once the wheel starts spinning, it leads to even more positive changes. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. If this happens, there are a few scenarios you can follow: The best thing you can do with those old plastic bags that have been stashed in that overflowing drawer in your kitchen is to recycle them. 15. Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. On their long journey, they will encounter many difficulties and only a small portion of them will survive. You need to know what effects plastic bags have on the environment and health. How To Make A Bracelet Out Of Plastic String? Will others? Harmful to human health 6. The upshot of the Sydney study is that the California bag ban reduced plastic bag consumption by 71.5% - a huge decrease. 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. 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. 1. plastic straws litter our environment Every day, about 3-6 billion plastic straws are produced. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in the mid-19th century, it wasnt until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed. Tiny plastic particles have been found in human feces. Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? Recycling more plastic, more frequently, reduces its footprint. Greentumble is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 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. Accompanied by high social accountability and musical garbage trucks, that strategy has proved wildly effective: the island now reports recycling rates above 50 percent. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. 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. and reefs composed of coral, F) I Plastic straws are one of the top five most often used items. Plastic is putting a strain on waste management systems, our oceans, and vulnerable communities the world over. Look for another place that does accept or use alternative packaging, such as small local stores that use paper wraps or compostable bags. Communities and consumers can play vital roles in sparking action. You are free to have your own personal opinion on whether or not we should ban plastic straws. 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. 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. National Geographic made a video on how helpless it feels to be caught in a plastic bag. Killing wildlife 5. Because they are so lightweight, plastic bags get easily picked up by wind and travel long distances by wind and water to pollute the nature. You could either discuss with a store manager a possibility of bringing your own containers for these products. Plastic straws, being so lightweight and non-biodegradable, are readily carried into the water, where they eventually break down into smaller and smaller pieces of microplastic. Leape has long been a leader in ocean conservation efforts. 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. In this article, Ill go over both the pros and cons of a plastic straw ban. 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. 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-. Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. We need to make fully biodegradable polymers that are cost-competitive. Such materials already exist in nature. CRIDDLE:Cost is a huge issue. Help raise awareness of fellow consumers that means everyone when you think about it (unless they dont shopever). Beyond the costs associated with the production and purchasing of plastic bags by retailers, there are many external costs that are often not considered. In many instances, it may seem too awkward for you to refuse the bag, so you accept it this one time, but you should know that it is fine to say no politely even at this stage if you dont want that bag. Yes, it should. 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. This form of ban could lead to a reduction in landfill across the country, going a long way to protect the nature and serenity of the area. 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. We will This strategy has been adopted by some countries and municipalities so far and has proven to greatly reduce plastic bag usage by consumers. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. The cashier usually understands, only had to do what instructed and what most customers expect (unfortunately) from him or her. Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links on this site may be referral or affiliate links. Plastic pollutionwhether in our oceans, piling up on our coastlines, or contributing to our climate crisisimpacts vulnerable communities first. Some opposers of the plastic straw ban say that a ban is unlikely to actually help the environment, as plastic straws do not make up a large percentage of plastic in the ocean. Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics have been produced, and half of that in the past 15 years alone. Criddle and Leape are also senior fellows at theStanford Woods Institute for the Environment. 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. Sea turtles are not the only species suffering from plastic bag pollution of the environment. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. Actress Nina Nelson and other celebrities made a video claiming that plastic. Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. A straw with our iced coffee, a plastic bag to carry our takeout, a wrapper on a candy bar: taken individually, each seems harmless. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. In fact, the global backlash against plastic straws likely started after researchers off the coast of Costa Rica shared a viral video of a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck up its nose. [PDF] Skip The Straw - 10 Reasons Fact Sheet - Kids. McDonalds swapped its plastic straws for paper at its United Kingdom and Ireland restaurants. Overall, the main reason for a plastic straw ban is to help the environment by preventing plastic straws pollution. This includes waste collection, regular cleanups to remove plastic bag litter along the roads or blown away from landfills and then even processing at landfill sites. 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. According to market research firms, Americans use about 350 million plastic straws every single day. Straws made of plastic contribute to the pollution of our seas and streams. 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. 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. 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. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. Theyre in about a quarter of the seafood in our markets, and even in table salt. These tiny plastic particles have been found in our oceans, soil, and even in the air. 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. Over time, sun and heat slowly turn plastics into smaller and smaller pieces until they eventually become what are known as microplastics. 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. McDonald's recently announced . Search for jobs related to Reasons why smoking should be banned articles or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. The process of drilling for plastics source materials, oil and gas, leads to methane leaking and flaring and is often combined with clearing forests and wetlands that otherwise would have sequestered carbon. 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. To align with global efforts, India banned single-use plastic items from July 1, 2022. Heres everything you need to know before plastic carryout bags disappear from the Empire State on March 1. 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. Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. Car Modifications for Electric Vehicles: Whats Possible. 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. Plastic bags and plastic products overall contain substances that are harmful to our health. Most retailers will get your point, but it can also happen that they will not be willing to sell you some products without placing it in their plastic bags because of having to oblige with some hygiene and sanitary standards (for example when selling meat products). Straws are said to be one of the top 10 objects recovered during beach clean-ups by the Ocean Conservancy. Although single-use plastic pollution accumulates most visibly on our streets, in fact our water suffers even more. Ban of Plastic Can be Problematic. Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. Such changes could have outsized benefits for vulnerable populations that rely on rivers for their water supply. The decrease in demand for plastic bags forces manufacturers to reduce their production and consider expanding in a supply of alternative products. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Paper vs. Increased awareness about the negative effects of single-use plastics would help the environment a lot more than just a simple plastic straw ban.