Not only does banning single-use plastic reduce pollution, but it also reduces demand for plastic production thats contributing to global climate change. Sugar and oils are too expensive. 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. Reducing plastic use is the most effective means of avoiding this waste (and the impacts linked to plastic production and use). And Starbucks, which uses an estimated one billion plastic straws per year, is phasing them out in favor of paper ones. 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. Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. Over time, sun and heat slowly turn plastics into smaller and smaller pieces until they eventually become what are known as microplastics. In Ireland, where this fee was instituted in 2002, plastic bag usage decreased by about 90 percent. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems facing our world today. Well, lets have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now. Well, a possible alternative solution could be to encourage businesses to only give out plastic straws on request. Better alternatives are available 10. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. In my opinion, plastic straws should not be banned outright, because many disabled people require plastic straws to drink. Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. (Everything You Need To Know). What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? There are definitely differing opinions on whether or not plastic straws should be banned. 4. Scientists are showing that we are sending tons of tiny plastic particles into our soils each year, potentially affecting crops and our health. As a result, the ban will reduce the number of plastic straws polluting the ocean. 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. We do not know the full impact of microplastics exceeding the mass of plankton in the ocean. 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. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. Plastic bags are often mistaken for food by animals, birds, and marine life. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? Made from fossil fuels 3. update email soon. These actions are a response to calls for change and shifting consumer habits. There were numerous cases of birds caught in plastic bags, unable to fly and feed, eventually strangling themselves to death. Similar fate has met dolphins, seals, cats, dogs, deer and many other animals which got severely cut on their bodies due to plastic bag entanglement. The resulting number is staggering. 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. It was first invented in 1907 by Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland. Because of this, the plants and wildlife in the area have a potential risk of absorbing the microplastics through their diets and drinking water. Nearly 20 years ago, a dead pelican was found with its stomach filled with 17 plastic bags [10]. About half the cost of making biodegradable polymers is the cost of feedstock. 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. 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. If plastic straws are completely banned, local small businesses like boba tea shops will have to look for pricier alternatives. They prevent millions of tons of plastic from entering the waste stream each year. Our addiction to plastic also has negative impacts on the climate. (Source: Water in the West), Analysis reveals how restoring relatively narrow forest buffers could substantially improve regional water quality and carbon storage in Costa Rica and elsewhere. Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste. That is why the United Nations Environmental Programme Secretariat has recommended a ban on all plastic bags globally. The most common are inorganic dyes that are added to change the color of plastic bags. 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. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. 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. Such is the case with many environmental crises: the worst effects are pushed onto overburdened communities with the fewest resources to fight back. Overall, the main reason for a plastic straw ban is to help the environment by preventing plastic straws pollution. the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution, Impact of Plastic Bags on the Environment, non-renewable fossil fuel-based resources, Plastic Bag Degradation: What You Should Know, Serious Effects of Plastic Pollution on Human Health. This means that the average consumption of plastic bags per person dropped from 328 bags per year to just 21 [20]. So, plastic waste only speeds up the destruction of these most biodiverse ecosystems on earth. FNB News - Choose the right straw | FNB News Learn how your comment data is processed. Cook more often, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers. You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. Thoughtful laws are needed to control the problem and at the same time encourage innovation. Starting in the 1960s, plastic straw manufacturing took off. The explanation is quite simple. Since their birth, baby turtles have only one goal to get to the sea and swim into deep waters where they will feed and if successful grow into adult turtles. Plastic straws are not the first iteration of straws. InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. Starbucks plans to phase out plastic straws by 2020. 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. O This requires the usage of 500 million straws, Straws and other items made of plastic are harmful, Every day in the United States. 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. Straws made of paper are neither recyclable nor capable of decomposition. We all are just trying to do our job well. This includes grocery plastic bags, Ziplock-type bags, dry cleaning bags and bread bags. Plastic straws are also the 6th most common trash item found during ocean cleanups. Tushy Ace Review (After 3 Months): Is this Luxury Bidet Worth it? 1. 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. For the oceans sake, wed better hope so. 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. Why Should Plastic Straws Be Banned? - Nationwide Plastics These modern conveniences are so ubiquitousand so quickly thrown outthat they hardly register in our minds. 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. The inaccuracy of this number calls into doubt the veracity of the overall case against using plastic straws as a drinking implement. Recently, however, plastic straws have been the subject of many plastic bans in an attempt to help the environment. Straws made of plastic contribute to the pollution of our seas and streams. Do you also have that overflowing kitchen drawer full of plastic bags you bring from your shopping trips? Among the U.S. cities to outlaw plastic straws are Malibu, Berkeley, Seattle, and Miami Beach. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. Plastic straws shouldn't be banned - The Rubicon Criddle and Leape are also senior fellows at theStanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Disney is eliminating single-use plastic straws and stirrers at all its theme parks, resorts and properties. The ban also kept them from littering neighborhoods and the environment. Some companies are taking initiative on their own. The upshot of the Sydney study is that the California bag ban reduced plastic bag consumption by 71.5% - a huge decrease. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, The very best alternative is a reusable bag. Our plastic addiction is having a devastating impact on our oceans, our wildlife, and our health. Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links on this site may be referral or affiliate links. 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. Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. On their long journey, they will encounter many difficulties and only a small portion of them will survive. You can share this article on social media by using the share buttons below. If there is one piece of advice that everyone should remember, it would be that nothing is for free in this world. Well, before putting it into the laundry basket, take a look at it closely. NRDCs Eric Goldstein gives the scoop on the latest environmental villain and explains why plastic straws really are a big menace to our oceans. 'Banning plastic straws will not be enough': The fight to clean the oceans The Pasig River in the Philippines is another scary example of the negative effects of plastic bags on the environment. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. Facebook; Contact Now . 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. Why are Plastic Straws Bad and What are the Alernatives? This measure should encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives. 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. Microplastics are plastic debris that measures less than five millimetres, or 0.2 inches, in diameter. 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. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. That's a whole 900 tons of plastic waste produced every day, and that's just for plastic straws! They're bad for the environment, kill marine life and damage human health. Those global companies can be important levers in driving change and shifting to a regenerative, circular economy. The first is to invest in better waste collection in the handful of countries that account for most of the plastic flowing into the ocean. 15. Without further due, here are the top 3 ways kids can help, Read More 3 Ways Kids can Help the EarthContinue, What Are Microplastics? 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. Leape has long been a leader in ocean conservation efforts. Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option. What Are Single-use Plastics and Should They Be Banned? 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. While an extra two cents may not seem like a lot, it could make a difference for some businesses that depend on plastic straws. 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. Plastic fragments in the ocean such as those from plastic bags can absorb pollutants like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) easily. 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. But a whopping 91 percent of all plastic isnt recycled at all. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. Will others? Single use plastics wreak havoc on wildlife and the earth. And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. 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. As a result, the actual recycling rate for plastic bags globally is between 5 to 15 percent, while in the United States it makes only 1 percent a year [17]. As it turns out, many microorganisms make moldable bioplastic polymers that are fully degradable. Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. 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. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. Plastic items are more sanitary than other alternatives. 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. Cause of environmental pollution 2. As part of the Break Free From Plastic movement, Greenpeace volunteers conducted an audit of plastic pollution along coastlines, sifting through tens of thousands of individual pieces across 42 countries to identify the pollutions sources. The first answer to this question that comes to everyones mind is to stop using plastic bags, right? (Its also important to remember that waste management is just one part of the global materials cycle. Once a person gets into the habit of bringing reusable bags when shopping, it is not much of an inconvenience at all. 1. Straws are said to be one of the top 10 objects recovered during beach clean-ups by the Ocean Conservancy. BY Rob Jordan, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, As Colorado River wanes, water supplies and ecosystems hang in the balance, Riverfront forest restoration can deliver outsized benefits, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, An AI solution to climate models gravity wave problem, Beavers will become a bigger boon to river water quality as U.S. West warms. Plastic utensils are convenient and straws are fun for kids, but much of that plastic eventually winds up in a landfill or as litter. A complete ban on plastic straws would harm disabled people, which definitely isnt the goal of such a ban. 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. Thats a promising start. 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]. This means that you are not consuming more resources every time you need to carry your groceries home. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. Should Plastic Straws Be Banned? [Pros & Cons of a Straw Ban] More and more states are looking to pass a new kind of recycling law that asks manufacturers to foot the bill for the waste created by their products. And the recent fracking boom, resulting in a surplus of oil, is fueling a subsequent rise in cracker plants, too. These pieces can be so small that they are invisible to our eye. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. 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. Making just one simple swap, like purchasing a reusable water bottle, can spare the environment hundreds of plastic bottles each year. 2015-2023 Greentumble. . In 2015 researchers from the University of Georgia estimated that between 4.8 million and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic per year make their way into the oceans via people living within 30 miles of a coast. Participate in beach or river cleanups. 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. 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. What about you? A Ban Could Harm Local Businesses If Additionally, someone has to pay the cost of dealing with plastic bags in the waste stream. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. Recycling more plastic, more frequently, reduces its footprint. Single-Use Plastics 101 | NRDC These steps are pretty straight forward and depend on your own initiative. She can remember all of her vehicles the Pontiac 6000, her familys car that was passed on to her when she went to college; the Volkswagen Rabbit, and later Fox, that took her through young adulthood; the Honda Civics,, Read More Car Recycling: Everything You Need to Know (With Statistics)Continue, Whether youre a scuba diver, snorkeler, or amateur swimmer, the ocean is a playground where you come to explore the beauty of nature and the difference from your regular lifes environment. The decrease in demand for plastic bags forces manufacturers to reduce their production and consider expanding in a supply of alternative products. Five Reasons Banning Plastics May Harm the Environment and Consumers Many people with disabilities rely on flexible straws to drink safely and independently. Straws don't provide as much utility as bags, so for many this is an easy adjustment. Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics have been produced, and half of that in the past 15 years alone. As plastic bags are not disposed properly . Your email address will not be published. TOP 10 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned BEST and NEWEST 2. 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]. And recent studies found plastic in the guts of 90 percent of the seabirds tested and 100 percent of the turtles. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world.
