Then, you should try to explain your reasons for not wanting your products packed in plastic bags. They discovered that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestl products were found most often. Using these non-renewable resources to make plastic bags is very short-sighted, considering that the typical useful life of each plastic bag is about 12 minutes and that the worlds oil reserves contain enough oil to cover our needs through 2050, as the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates. 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. Oene Moedt-Foto Natura/Minden via National Geographic Images, Major Corporations and Single-Use Plastics, secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and research has suggested that human exposure, 4.8 million and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic, one of the most greenhouse gasintensive industries in the manufacturing sector, could reach 1.34 gigatons per year by 2030, an audit of plastic pollution along coastlines. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. 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. Such is the case with many environmental crises: the worst effects are pushed onto overburdened communities with the fewest resources to fight back. PLASTIC STRAWS CANT BE BROKEN DOWN BY NATURE. 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. 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. Among the U.S. cities to outlaw plastic straws are Malibu, Berkeley, Seattle, and Miami Beach. CRIDDLE:We need to think about what incentives will promote a culture of recycling and innovation with respect to waste streams. After all, ask your grandparents, they will remember that during their time people were used to go shopping with their own bags or baskets. By comparison, an estimated 46 percent of all pollution in the ocean is made up of lost or abandoned fishing gear (Vox). Plastic, in general, is one of the biggest pollutants in the world. Author: floridadep.gov. 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. 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. To make matters worse, if plastic straws get into the ocean, they can be mistaken for food by marine animals. Plastic utensils are convenient and straws are fun for kids, but much of that plastic eventually winds up in a landfill or as litter. The very best alternative is a reusable bag. Look for another place that does accept or use alternative packaging, such as small local stores that use paper wraps or compostable bags. According to a 2017 study, more than half of non-fiber plastic, which excludes synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, comes from plastic packaging alone, much of which is for single-use items. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, Even when you dont see it, these indestructible particles are everywhere around us, including in the food chain. There are numerous reasons why PLA straws are not the right substitute for plastic straws . (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. Do you wonder why? Help raise awareness of fellow consumers that means everyone when you think about it (unless they dont shopever). Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems facing our world today. You as an individual have the power to make a gradual change in your community. Some companies are taking initiative on their own. Criddle isdirector of StanfordsCodiga Resource Recovery Center,a member ofStanford Bio-Xand an affiliate of thePrecourt Institute for Energy. edinburgh airport address. 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. If environmental zealots and sycophants get their way, you won't be allowed to sip it through a plastic straw. 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. But, are paper straws really better for the environment? National Geographic made a video on how helpless it feels to be caught in a plastic bag. Yes, it should. 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. Or you may need to accept that plastic bag this time and then start campaigning for a plastic bag ban in your area . Globally, 8 to 10 percent of our current oil supply goes to a plastic bag manufacture [4]. 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. 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. 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 can be sure of one thing, though. A calf had to be put down because of indigestion caused by 8 plastic bags in its stomach. How To Make A Bracelet Out Of Plastic String? These actions are a response to calls for change and shifting consumer habits. 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. Plastic pollutionwhether in our oceans, piling up on our coastlines, or contributing to our climate crisisimpacts vulnerable communities first. 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. Most plastic straws are made from harsh chemicals making them impossible to reuse or recycle. Dont re-wash something if you can wear it again. Straws made of plastic contribute to the pollution of our seas and streams. 1. 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. Plastic is not the largest contributor of pollution and the . If you are a kid reading this, and you want to get green and help the Earth, you are at the right place. And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. 15. What do the bans accomplish? An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. So, retailers incorporate this cost hiddenly into prices of other items sold at stores. Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. The single biggest reason why people want to ban plastic straws is because of their negative effects on the environment. India, for example, generates 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day but collects only 60 percent of it. Her Stand-Up Paddleboard Is a Platform for Campaigning Against Plastic Pollution, A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields. The ban also kept them from littering neighborhoods and the environment. 4. female pomeranian temperament; splinterlands terms and conditions; carbon emissions data by company; ( ) + . This is due to the fact that the plastic tubes are far too lightweight to be recycled in an efficient manner. Many of you may have heard it already. Individual choicesand the collective shifts they bring aboutadd up quickly. Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. While we may not pay for plastic bags directly when we go shopping, they are anything but free.. Start from yourself and slowly expand to your family and friends. 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 However, as an environmental enthusiast, heres what I think about this ban. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. But, getting rid of all single-use plastics definitely will. We are a couple of environmentalists who seek inspiration for life in simple values based on our love for nature. Then, the straw got stuck in the turtles nose after she/he tried to cough the straw back out. 2023 Get Green Now. By simply using less plastic, you can help keep marine life from eating and getting entangled in garbage. The crisis is so serious that many people are saying that plastic straws should be outlawed. There are definitely differing opinions on whether or not plastic straws should be banned. Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. This measure should encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives. While an extra two cents may not seem like a lot, it could make a difference for some businesses that depend on plastic straws. Why is plastic bad for the environment? The decrease in demand for plastic bags forces manufacturers to reduce their production and consider expanding in a supply of alternative products. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. 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. To date, around 60 countries and municipalities around the world have instituted plastic bag bans, and additional seven countries are planning to enforce the law in the closest future. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? Have some dirty clothes that you just wore today? If plastic straws are completely banned, local small businesses like boba tea shops will have to look for pricier alternatives. It has been projected that, if current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish. Instead of investing in quality goods that will last, we often prioritize convenience over durability and consideration of long-term impacts. Summary: Reduce your use of single-use plastics. 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. 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. 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. Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? Es gratis registrarse y presentar tus propuestas laborales. Our plastic addiction is having a devastating impact on our oceans, our wildlife, and our health. And Starbucks, which uses an estimated one billion plastic straws per year, is phasing them out in favor of paper ones. America Needs a Plastics Intervention. and reefs composed of coral, F) I Plastic straws are one of the top five most often used items. The most common are inorganic dyes that are added to change the color of plastic bags. 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. Heres everything you need to know before plastic carryout bags disappear from the Empire State on March 1. Left alone, plastics dont really break down; they just break up. We all are just trying to do our job well. 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. But beyond these impacts, the bans have cultural effects. For example, some disabled people may not be able to properly hold or pick up a cup, so they need to use straws to drink properly. Plastic straws are also the 6th most common trash item found during ocean cleanups. A plastic straw ban could be a good step in the right direction, but we must use less single-use products overall to actually help the environment. For the oceans sake, wed better hope so. It was first invented in 1907 by Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland. The explanation is quite simple. Ill also go over whether or not plastic straw bans will actually help the environment, and explain everything else youll need to know. Plastic straws are not the first iteration of straws. Fortunately, microorganisms can also use cheap, renewable substrates, such as food wastes, biogas methane, carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen. In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11]. Search for jobs related to Reasons why smoking should be banned articles or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. 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. Manufacturers began replacing traditionally paper or glass staples with lighter or more durable and affordable plastic alternatives; plastic jugs replaced milk jars, for instance. However, I do believe that we should limit our use of plastic straws by asking businesses to only give out straws on request. Its because Asian and US coastlines release large amounts of plastic waste in the ocean [7]. Our reliance on these plastics means we are accumulating waste at a staggering rate. Cook more often, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers. 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. Considering what important source of food plankton is for many other species, it is clear that plastic gets distributed across the marine ecosystem. For many of us it is hard to imagine that something as small as a plastic bag can actually cause flooding, but residents of some cities in Bangladesh have been struggling with this problem every monsoon season for the past two decades [3]. So, plastic bag recycling facilities are few and far between and transportation to one could be expensive. Companies are forced to innovate, rethinking their designs and sourcing sustainable materials. In New York, 23 billion plastic bags are used by residents each year. On average, plastic bags cost retailers about 3-5 cents each. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education. We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. 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. 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. Yeah I end up going through like 5 paper straws because they keep disintegrating and I can't drink my drink anymore. Actress Nina Nelson and other celebrities made a video claiming that plastic. An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. But a whopping 91 percent of all plastic isnt recycled at all. 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. Although, really, these tips can be used by anyone, not just kids. Plastic fragments in the ocean such as those from plastic bags can absorb pollutants like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) easily. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. Additionally, a plastic straw ban could also act as a gateway into other single-use plastic bans for items like plastic bottles and plastic bags, which are worse for the environment than 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. 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). | | This could negatively reflect on their income. State Disclosures. Participate in beach or river cleanups. Recently, however, plastic straws have been the subject of many plastic bans in an attempt to help the environment. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. LEAPE:Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of the problem less than 1 percent. We use them to drink beverages at home and we get them at almost every restaurant. Killing wildlife 5. But the sheer amount of plastic waste inundates communities until they are drowning under thousands of tons of plastic trash. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. Plastic bags are everywhere. Straws don't provide as much utility as bags, so for many this is an easy adjustment. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. The first answer to this question that comes to everyones mind is to stop using plastic bags, right? Communities with good awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags have been more successful at enforcing the ban [20]. 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. A plastic straw ban would serve to reduce the number of plastic straws entering the ocean. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. 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. 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. 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. 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. The second, more fundamental imperative is to get plastics out of our waste stream. Because of this, the plants and wildlife in the area have a potential risk of absorbing the microplastics through their diets and drinking water. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy (Everything You Need To Know). 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. Even if plastic doesnt end up in the ocean, recycled plastic is often exported from high-income countries to developing countries to process. We will You can share this article on social media by using the share buttons below. Speak out in support of local plastic bans, whether by calling your local government representative, submitting an op-ed to your citys newspaper, or simply starting conversations with neighbors. Only then would a plastic straw ban be able to actually help preserve the environment. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. 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. Once a paper product has been contaminated with food or drink, it must be disposed of in a landfill. 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. (Some places are going so far as to ban single-use plastics entirely; most notably, India intends to go this route by 2022.) The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. 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. Straws, Ives says, made the perfect target: too inconsequential to really be missed but so ubiquitous that their absence would be noticed. Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. 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. Refineries where crude oil is turned into plastic make up one of the most greenhouse gasintensive industries in the manufacturing sector. Its Plastic Incineration. 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-. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. 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. Stanford experts discuss the limitations of these bans and the potential for meaningful change. Thanks for signing up. Beached whales have been found with stomachs full of plastic trash. The upshot of the Sydney study is that the California bag ban reduced plastic bag consumption by 71.5% - a huge decrease. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in the mid-19th century, it wasnt until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they can drink. Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. 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. You need to know what effects plastic bags have on the environment and health. 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.
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