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Without further due, here are the top 3 ways kids can help, Read More 3 Ways Kids can Help the EarthContinue, What Are Microplastics? Please share this message with your friends so that together, we can tackle our global plastic problem. For the oceans sake, wed better hope so. 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. What never leaves, Read More Sustainable Diving & Snorkeling: How to Prevent Damage to Marine EcosystemsContinue, Top 3 Ways Kids can Help the Earth! 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. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. 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]. We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. Greenwashing Alert: Chemical Recycling Isnt Actually Recycling. For many in the disabled community, the availability of plastic straws is essential for their well-being and survival. Scientists are showing that we are sending tons of tiny plastic particles into our soils each year, potentially affecting crops and our health. But these cases make up a small fraction of single-use plastic. A wave of single-use plastic bans is sweeping the country and the globemost often on plastic bags, straws, stirrers, and takeout clamshells. 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. In effect, nature has designed this plastic for disassembly. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. 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. Search for jobs related to Reasons why smoking should be banned articles or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. Thoughtful laws are needed to control the problem and at the same time encourage innovation. It was first invented in 1907 by Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland. 1. 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. 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. Single use plastics wreak havoc on wildlife and the earth. The single biggest reason why people want to ban plastic straws is because of their negative effects on the environment. A Ban Could Harm Local Businesses If To align with global efforts, India banned single-use plastic items from July 1, 2022. Our reliance on these plastics means we are accumulating waste at a staggering rate. While we may not pay for plastic bags directly when we go shopping, they are anything but free.. Some companies are taking initiative on their own. Each day, the United States of America uses 500 million drinking straws. So, plastic waste only speeds up the destruction of these most biodiverse ecosystems on earth. The country instituted the ban in 2013 to minimize livestock deaths. 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. 2. Single-use plastics in particularespecially small items like straws, bags, and cutleryare traditionally hard to recycle because they fall into the crevices of recycling machinery and therefore are often not accepted by recycling centers. Recycling more plastic, more frequently, reduces its footprint. Car Modifications for Electric Vehicles: Whats Possible. 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]. 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. update email soon. Ideally, to be suitable for recycling, bags need to be clean to be accepted, which is often a problem, considering that we use them to carry groceries and potentially leaky goods. You can be sure of one thing, though. 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. An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. Plastic bags are everywhere. Our plastic addiction is having a devastating impact on our oceans, our wildlife, and our health. This is due to the fact that the plastic tubes are far too lightweight to be recycled in an efficient manner. 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. 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. that do collect plastic bags and other plastic films and send them for proper recycling. Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? JIM LEAPE: Our oceans are currently swimming with plastics. When animals ingest plastic, it clogs up their digestive systems, which can easily choke or kill animals like birds or sea turtles. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection Plastic fragments in the ocean such as those from plastic bags can absorb pollutants like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) easily. 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. 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. Once in the ocean, plastic pollution is extremely dangerous to marine life, and plastic straws are no exception. Leape has long been a leader in ocean conservation efforts. Killing wildlife 5. 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. It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. 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. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they. They prevent millions of tons of plastic from entering the waste stream each year. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. If environmental zealots and sycophants get their way, you won't be allowed to sip it through a plastic straw. On average, taxpayers end up paying about $88 per year just on plastic bag waste [15]. About; Disability Vote Blog; Organizer's Forum; Issues; News; NDLA Webinars Even if plastic doesnt end up in the ocean, recycled plastic is often exported from high-income countries to developing countries to process. Plastic straws are also the 6th most common trash item found during ocean cleanups. Plastic is putting a strain on waste management systems, our oceans, and vulnerable communities the world over. A last example of a true horror caused by plastic has been discovered just recently. Cook more often, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers. 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. One recent survey found plastics in 94 percent of tap water samples in the U.S. and in nearly every brand of bottled water. | | Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. A plastic straw ban would serve to reduce the number of plastic straws entering the ocean. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. In fact, plastic straws only make up around 0.03 percent of total plastic waste by mass. This is the case particularly in Southeast Asia, which has begun to import much of the plastic that used to go to China for recycling. The people of Macon, Georgia, saw through it. Plastic bags are often mistaken for food by animals, birds, and marine life. Straws, Ives says, made the perfect target: too inconsequential to really be missed but so ubiquitous that their absence would be noticed. A laboratory photograph of microplastics found in the Corsica River in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Maryland, An albatross found dead with a belly full of plastic on Midway Atoll. Additionally, someone has to pay the cost of dealing with plastic bags in the waste stream. And recent studies found plastic in the guts of 90 percent of the seabirds tested and 100 percent of the turtles. What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers? The crisis is so serious that many people are saying that plastic straws should be outlawed. In countries with a lack of awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags, a polite refusal might not be met with much understanding. Plastic straws only account for roughly one percent of the total amount of waste plastic found in the ocean. Plastic waste, mostly broken down into tiny particles, floats in huge blobs amid ocean current patterns called gyres that together cover as much as 40 percent of Earth's ocean surface. A calf had to be put down because of indigestion caused by 8 plastic bags in its stomach. The manufacturing of reusable bags or compostable alternatives to plastic bags offers a new opportunity to create sustainable products and provide jobs that go with them. It has been projected that, if current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish. 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. Plastic bag litter has even caused great problems in some areas. However, I do believe that we should limit our use of plastic straws by asking businesses to only give out straws on request. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. And the recent fracking boom, resulting in a surplus of oil, is fueling a subsequent rise in cracker plants, too. So, retailers incorporate this cost hiddenly into prices of other items sold at stores. They discovered that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestl products were found most often. 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. Look for another place that does accept or use alternative packaging, such as small local stores that use paper wraps or compostable bags. Only then would a plastic straw ban be able to actually help preserve the environment. Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. 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. The small pilot whale, found in a Thai canal this past June, is another symptom of a crisis in the worlds oceans. 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. Left alone, plastics dont really break down; they just break up. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. Read more about us. Plastic bag bansideally accompanied by a fee on paper bagsare also catching on. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. 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. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. 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. They suspect that it may add stress on the liver by introducing more pathogens into the body. This type of plastic is derived from petroleum. But, getting rid of all single-use plastics definitely will. Animals can also easily become entangled in this plastic waste. female pomeranian temperament; splinterlands terms and conditions; carbon emissions data by company; ( ) + . All rights reserved. The explanation is quite simple. If the environmental movement drew up a Most Unwanted list for 2018, the plastic drinking straw surely would land 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. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. That's a whole 900 tons of plastic waste produced every day, and that's just for plastic straws! And cracker plantswhich break, or crack, ethane molecules, a component of natural gas, into the chemical building blocks of plastic productsare energy intensive and highly polluting. Banning straws may confer 'moral license' allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. They are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials. 2023 Get Green Now. Plastic, in general, is one of the biggest pollutants in the world. Do you also have that overflowing kitchen drawer full of plastic bags you bring from your shopping trips? In Ireland, where this fee was instituted in 2002, plastic bag usage decreased by about 90 percent. 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). And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. These pieces can be so small that they are invisible to our eye. However, we are all too familiar with situations when a cashier automatically puts your items in a plastic bag before you can oppose it. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? 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. Martin Grimm/Picture-alliance via Associated Press. Or you may need to accept that plastic bag this time and then start campaigning for a plastic bag ban in your area . 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. 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 do not know the full impact of microplastics exceeding the mass of plankton in the ocean. Plastic is not the largest contributor of pollution and the . Most plastic straws are made from harsh chemicals making them impossible to reuse or recycle. In the United States alone, statistics reach up to 12 million barrels of oil that are used each year to produce even more plastic bags 100 billion more, to give you the precise number [5]. Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. 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. 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. Divers, for example, descend 130 feet under the water, seek unique-looking creatures, and observe the marine world in all its glory. Then, you should try to explain your reasons for not wanting your products packed in plastic bags. edinburgh airport address. Plastic items are more sanitary than other alternatives. 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. The risk is that banning straws may confer moral license allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. Have some dirty clothes that you just wore today? In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11]. Another indirect danger of plastic bags has breeding ground in the pollution they create. You are free to have your own personal opinion on whether or not we should ban plastic straws. The most common are inorganic dyes that are added to change the color of plastic bags. China doesnt want our plastic waste anymore. Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. Criddle isdirector of StanfordsCodiga Resource Recovery Center,a member ofStanford Bio-Xand an affiliate of thePrecourt Institute for Energy. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems facing our world today. The Pasig River is the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution in the world. Most of it is either dumped in landfills or ends up in the ocean. In fact, I just listed many reasons and points in this article that support both sides of the argument. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go. 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. Stanford Reportspoke withJim Leape, co-director of theStanford Center for Ocean Solutions, andCraig Criddle, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, about the path to reducing ocean plastic pollution. 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. Thats a promising start. These microscopic plastic fragments, no more than 5 millimeters long, are hard to detectand are just about everywhere. InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. Coca-Cola makes an estimated 110 billion plastic bottles a year.