Accompanied by high social accountability and musical garbage trucks, that strategy has proved wildly effective: the island now reports recycling rates above 50 percent. They prevent millions of tons of plastic from entering the waste stream each year. About; Disability Vote Blog; Organizer's Forum; Issues; News; NDLA Webinars Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect absorption of some important trace elements (like iron) which we need for maintaining proper health [13]. As plastic bags are not disposed properly . We add another 8 million tons each year thats about five grocery bags full of plastic waste on every foot of shoreline around the world, according to a recent study. Although, really, these tips can be used by anyone, not just kids. Well, lets have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now. 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. 2023 Get Green Now. These examples could go on for a long time. There were numerous cases of birds caught in plastic bags, unable to fly and feed, eventually strangling themselves to death. Additionally, someone has to pay the cost of dealing with plastic bags in the waste stream. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and female pomeranian temperament; splinterlands terms and conditions; carbon emissions data by company; ( ) + . 1 producer of plastic waste in the world. In the United States, California has banned single-use plastic bags in 2016, but the city of San Francisco has locally issued this ban already in 2012 and consumers pay a little fee for other alternatives like compostable bags or recycled paper bags. Plastic bags and plastic products overall contain substances that are harmful to our health. Our addiction to plastic also has negative impacts on the climate. Tweet, call, or send letters to these companies to ask them to switch to more durable, recyclable, compostable, renewable, and/or recycled-content packaging with less fossil fuelderived plastic. We've all become too hooked on the availability and comfort of the stuff. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. But this comes along with many unanswered questions. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment? 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. For most, straws are not a necessity, but a convenience. Once the wheel starts spinning, it leads to even more positive changes. In the spirit of eliminating waste, plastic straws appeared to be a way to further the cause: straws aren't essential to the dining experience, and by banning them, oceans, streets, and general society would theoretically benefit. 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. 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. Plastic is putting a strain on waste management systems, our oceans, and vulnerable communities the world over. The crucial challenge is to ensure that these bans are just a first step. They also arent accepted by recycling facilities because they can jam recycling machinery (due to their small size). The risk is that banning straws may confer moral license allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. This leaves few other alternatives other than plastic straws. Not only does banning single-use plastic reduce pollution, but it also reduces demand for plastic production thats contributing to global climate change. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. So, plastic bag recycling facilities are few and far between and transportation to one could be expensive. Plastic bag bansideally accompanied by a fee on paper bagsare also catching on. 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. 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. Start from yourself and slowly expand to your family and friends. Plastic use costs approximately $75 billion a year [16]. We will Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. Martin Grimm/Picture-alliance via Associated Press. We dont know how it will in the long term affect plankton-feeding species and their predators. Large producers of single-use plastics can make a big environmental impact. Its possible that using a plastic straw would make it easier for you to drink without spilling, but the long-term expenses are not worth it. You as an individual have the power to make a gradual change in your community. Even if plastic doesnt end up in the ocean, recycled plastic is often exported from high-income countries to developing countries to process. 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. As a result, they are thrown away and frequently wind up in the ocean, where they pollute the water and eventually kill marine birds, animals, and fish. This strategy has been adopted by some countries and municipalities so far and has proven to greatly reduce plastic bag usage by consumers. Starbucks recently announced that it would phase out use of plastic straws by the year 2020. Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. 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.). In fact, plastic straws only make up around 0.03 percent of total plastic waste by mass. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go. Come with external costs 9. Thanks for signing up. There are many uses for plastic that are not only reasonable but important, such as surgical gloves, or straws for people with disabilities. Greenwashing Alert: Chemical Recycling Isnt Actually Recycling. 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. To make matters worse, if plastic straws get into the ocean, they can be mistaken for food by marine animals. Leape has long been a leader in ocean conservation efforts. A plastic straw ban would serve to reduce the number of plastic straws entering the ocean. How Plastic Bottles Become Death Traps for Hermit Crabs. Your email address will not be published. Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education. | | 1. Litter can be the first stage in a waste stream that enters waterways as plastics tossed on the street are washed away by rain or travel via storm drains into rivers and streams. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. 2. They are a part of our modern lives, and we dont tend to think much about them. Another indirect danger of plastic bags has breeding ground in the pollution they create. 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. "To us, it was the 'gateway plastic' to the larger, more . Reusable shopping bags are very durable and can be reused many times over the course of their useful life. If there is one piece of advice that everyone should remember, it would be that nothing is for free in this world. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in the mid-19th century, it wasnt until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed. 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. But you should also consider the other perspective what effect single-use bags have had on the local economy and product affordability. Because of this, the plants and wildlife in the area have a potential risk of absorbing the microplastics through their diets and drinking water. We shouldnt ban plastic straws if it creates an accessibility issue. If the environmental movement drew up a Most Unwanted list for 2018, the plastic drinking straw surely would land For wildlife, microplastics can be particularly dangerous; when eaten they can easily accumulate inside an animals body and cause health issues, like punctured organs or fatal intestinal blockages. Prior the ban, 70 percent of livestock losses were attributed to plastic bag ingestion. Cause of environmental pollution 2. The reason to worry is that scientists do not know how our metabolism and immunity will react to the increased concentration of plastic particles in our system. 2. 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. 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-. 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. If you are a kid reading this, and you want to get green and help the Earth, you are at the right place. Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. These tiny plastic particles have been found in our oceans, soil, and even in the air. Although single-use plastic pollution accumulates most visibly on our streets, in fact our water suffers even more. How To Make A Bracelet Out Of Plastic String? Straws, Ives says, made the perfect target: too inconsequential to really be missed but so ubiquitous that their absence would be noticed. We all are just trying to do our job well. 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. And recent studies found plastic in the guts of 90 percent of the seabirds tested and 100 percent of the turtles. However, I do believe that we should limit our use of plastic straws by asking businesses to only give out straws on request. 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. Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. These steps are pretty straight forward and depend on your own initiative. Single-use plastics are a glaring example of the problems with throwaway culture. But, are paper straws really better for the environment? Nows the Time. (Its also important to remember that waste management is just one part of the global materials cycle. Then, they have a propensity to break down into microplastics, which then clutter the ecosystems in question. While an extra two cents may not seem like a lot, it could make a difference for some businesses that depend on plastic straws. 2. On average, plastic bags cost retailers about 3-5 cents each. 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. Fortunately, microorganisms can also use cheap, renewable substrates, such as food wastes, biogas methane, carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen. Dont re-wash something if you can wear it again. It is good for our environment, health and global climate. Alarmingly, scientists estimate that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight in 2050. Plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds will no longer be sold in Britain as part of a plan to eradicate "avoidable plastic waste" by 2042, and Prime Minister Theresa May actively called on other leaders in the Commonwealth to implement similar policies. 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). The trend has already started. We use them to drink beverages at home and we get them at almost every restaurant. We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. We are a couple of environmentalists who seek inspiration for life in simple values based on our love for nature. 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. The very best alternative is a reusable bag. 1. plastic straws litter our environment Every day, about 3-6 billion plastic straws are produced. (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. Buy in bulk. Criddle and Leape are also senior fellows at theStanford Woods Institute for the Environment.
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