American beaver populations are booming in the western United States as conditions grow hotter and drier. 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. For many in the disabled community, the availability of plastic straws is essential for their well-being and survival. 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. So, retailers incorporate this cost hiddenly into prices of other items sold at stores. The resulting number is staggering. 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. Large producers of single-use plastics can make a big environmental impact. Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We all are just trying to do our job well. 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. The consumed plastic congests the digestive tracts of these animals, and can lead to health issues such as infections, painful intestinal blockage, starvation or death by suffocation. 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. Es gratis registrarse y presentar tus propuestas laborales. Once a person gets into the habit of bringing reusable bags when shopping, it is not much of an inconvenience at all. Dont re-wash something if you can wear it again. Put simply, single-use plastics are goods that are made primarily from fossil fuelbased chemicals (petrochemicals) and are meant to be disposed of right after useoften, in mere minutes. 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-. | | Alarmingly, scientists estimate that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight in 2050. This means that you are not consuming more resources every time you need to carry your groceries home. Without further due, here are the top 3 ways kids can help, Read More 3 Ways Kids can Help the EarthContinue, What Are Microplastics? Accompanied by high social accountability and musical garbage trucks, that strategy has proved wildly effective: the island now reports recycling rates above 50 percent. 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]. 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. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. Plastic straws are not the first iteration of straws. Yeah I end up going through like 5 paper straws because they keep disintegrating and I can't drink my drink anymore. How Plastic Bottles Become Death Traps for Hermit Crabs. And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. What Is Plastic Made Of And How Is It Manufactured? Communities and consumers can play vital roles in sparking action. Help raise awareness of fellow consumers that means everyone when you think about it (unless they dont shopever). How To Make A Bracelet Out Of Plastic String? Shuddering and unable to breathe, he vomited up five plastic bags. 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. 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. InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. 1. 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. Have a look yourself to imagine the suffering of these animals. The people of Macon, Georgia, saw through it. About; Disability Vote Blog; Organizer's Forum; Issues; News; NDLA Webinars Spare Yourself the Guilt Trip This Earth DayIts Companies That Need to Clean Up Their Acts, These Fanciful Sea Creatures Were Carried in on the Tide. Plastic straws are everywhere we look. As plastic bags tend to get caught in recycling machinery, most recycling facilities do not have the capacity to recycle plastic bags and therefore do not accept them. 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. 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. You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. Straws are said to be one of the top 10 objects recovered during beach clean-ups by the Ocean Conservancy. Criddle isdirector of StanfordsCodiga Resource Recovery Center,a member ofStanford Bio-Xand an affiliate of thePrecourt Institute for Energy. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. 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. Unfortunately, such a high level of pollution doesnt come without consequences. This measure should encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives. Most drop-off collection points accept plastic bags made from high-density polyethylene (plastic number 2) and low-density polyethylene (plastic number 4). 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 explanation is quite simple. Individual choicesand the collective shifts they bring aboutadd up quickly. 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]. Juan Cristobal Cobo/Bloomberg via Getty Images. Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. 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. 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. 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. So, for example, companies need to not only make products that are recyclable, but actually make them out of recycled or truly biodegradable material. Plastic bags and plastic products overall contain substances that are harmful to our health. McDonalds swapped its plastic straws for paper at its United Kingdom and Ireland restaurants. These tiny plastic particles have been found in our oceans, soil, and even in the air. Divers, for example, descend 130 feet under the water, seek unique-looking creatures, and observe the marine world in all its glory. Look for another place that does accept or use alternative packaging, such as small local stores that use paper wraps or compostable bags. Although, really, these tips can be used by anyone, not just kids. Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics have been produced, and half of that in the past 15 years alone. 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. This could negatively reflect on their income. Why? Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection 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. As it turns out, many microorganisms make moldable bioplastic polymers that are fully degradable. Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. Straws make up roughly 4 percent of the plastic waste in terms of the number of pieces, but a far smaller percentage in terms of the weight.Due to the fact that the typical weight of a straw is just around one sixty-seventh of an ounce, or 42 grams, the total weight of all those billions of straws combined only accounts for roughly 2,000 tons of the almost 9 million tons of plastic debris that enters the sea each year. 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. 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. (Its also important to remember that waste management is just one part of the global materials cycle. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. Do you wonder why? (Everything You Need To Know). Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. For example, millions of discarded plastic bags clog water drainage channels and sewers in urban areas of Bangladesh. A straw with our iced coffee, a plastic bag to carry our takeout, a wrapper on a candy bar: taken individually, each seems harmless. Rating: 5 (913 reviews) Highest rating: 5. The upshot of the Sydney study is that the California bag ban reduced plastic bag consumption by 71.5% - a huge decrease. Theyre in about a quarter of the seafood in our markets, and even in table salt. Overall, the main reason for a plastic straw ban is to help the environment by preventing plastic straws pollution. If there is one piece of advice that everyone should remember, it would be that nothing is for free in this world. According to the United States National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, microplastics are so small that they move straight through water filtration, Read More What Are Microplastics and Why Are They a Concern? 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]. Some companies are taking initiative on their own. Once the wheel starts spinning, it leads to even more positive changes. This means that the average consumption of plastic bags per person dropped from 328 bags per year to just 21 [20]. Marine animals bear the burden of this influx of garbage into their habitats. Killing wildlife 5. They store these polymers inside their cells as tiny granules. Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. But, are paper straws really better for the environment? Come with external costs 9. In effect, nature has designed this plastic for disassembly. If the environmental movement drew up a Most Unwanted list for 2018, the plastic drinking straw surely would land What do the bans accomplish? For those governments that are opposed to full bans on plastic bags, another option is to institute a plastic bag tax, where consumers or retailers would pay a small fee for each plastic bag. Plastic use costs approximately $75 billion a year [16]. Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. If you are constantly feeling gassy, then you should definitely consider drinking beverages the old fashioned way. The Pasig River is the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution in the world. We've all become too hooked on the availability and comfort of the stuff. 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. There are some great initiatives that strive to provide jobs for women in rural communities with limited possibilities of securing monthly income. 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. Better alternatives are available 10. All rights reserved. Starbucks recently announced that it would phase out use of plastic straws by the year 2020. What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? Beyond the costs associated with the production and purchasing of plastic bags by retailers, there are many external costs that are often not considered. Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education. Your email address will not be published. [PDF] Skip The Straw - 10 Reasons Fact Sheet - Kids. (Photo credit: Shutterstock). If environmental zealots and sycophants get their way, you won't be allowed to sip it through a plastic straw. and reefs composed of coral, F) I Plastic straws are one of the top five most often used items. its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. 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. They're bad for the environment, kill marine life and damage human health. These modern conveniences are so ubiquitousand so quickly thrown outthat they hardly register in our minds. Reduce Aesthetic value of your neighborhood. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste. Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. They are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials. Your email address will not be published. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems facing our world today. Straws, Ives says, made the perfect target: too inconsequential to really be missed but so ubiquitous that their absence would be noticed. Plastic is not the largest contributor of pollution and the . Read more about us. These examples could go on for a long time. 2023 Get Green Now. edinburgh airport address. But, getting rid of all single-use plastics definitely will. State Disclosures. 13.07.2022 Harry Brown THE TOP 10 REASONS TO DO NOT USE THE STRAW O This requires the usage of 500 million straws Straws and other items made of plastic are harmful Every day in the United States. 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. Those global companies can be important levers in driving change and shifting to a regenerative, circular economy. The crucial challenge is to ensure that these bans are just a first step. update email soon. NDLA National Disability Leadership Alliance: Nothing About Us Without Us. We should also try to give up plastic straws if we are capable of doing so. In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11]. 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. An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. The single biggest reason why people want to ban plastic straws is because of their negative effects on the environment. Avoid individually packaged goods, like snack packs. When you sip beverages through a straw you end up inhaling more air into your belly than you would otherwise. 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. Scientists are showing that we are sending tons of tiny plastic particles into our soils each year, potentially affecting crops and our health. 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. Exposure to microplastics, as well as the chemicals that are added to plastics during processing, harm our health. Criddle and Leape are also senior fellows at theStanford Woods Institute for the Environment. It has been projected that, if current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish. Its also important to look at the bigger picture regarding plastic bans. When animals ingest plastic, it clogs up their digestive systems, which can easily choke or kill animals like birds or sea turtles. New research shows their prolific dam building benefits river water quality so much, it outweighs the damaging influence of climate-driven droughts. Nearly 20 years ago, a dead pelican was found with its stomach filled with 17 plastic bags [10]. Its because Asian and US coastlines release large amounts of plastic waste in the ocean [7]. 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. Car Recycling: Everything You Need to Know (With Statistics), Sustainable Diving & Snorkeling: How to Prevent Damage to Marine Ecosystems, What Are Microplastics and Why Are They a Concern? 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. A plastic straw ban would serve to reduce the number of plastic straws entering the ocean. Will Shifting to Reusable Straws Really Make a Difference? Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. 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. It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. The problem with plastic straws is that they are one of the biggest causes of unnecessary plastic pollution. So, plastic bag recycling facilities are few and far between and transportation to one could be expensive. This is due to the fact that the plastic tubes are far too lightweight to be recycled in an efficient manner. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned. (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. 1. plastic straws litter our environment Every day, about 3-6 billion plastic straws are produced. Ill also go over whether or not plastic straw bans will actually help the environment, and explain everything else youll need to know. Search for jobs related to Reasons why smoking should be banned articles or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go. Simply, refuse them when offered and bring your own reusable bag when shopping. On average, taxpayers end up paying about $88 per year just on plastic bag waste [15]. The Pasig River in the Philippines is another scary example of the negative effects of plastic bags on the environment. Due to its chemistry, nothing in nature can make plastic biodegrade. They suspect that it may add stress on the liver by introducing more pathogens into the body. Gas, bloating, and intestinal discomfort. Post date: 18 yesterday. The majority of this pollutiondominated by single-use plastic wastecomes from countries lacking infrastructure to properly manage waste, particularly in Asia. In Germany alone, we use 40 billion plastic straws every year. You are free to have your own personal opinion on whether or not we should ban plastic straws. Only then would a plastic straw ban be able to actually help preserve the environment. Plastic waste that clogs water drainage channels and river tributaries of many Asian cities increases exposure of residents to water-borne diseases, as it creates a toxic soup that remains stranded in one place for prolonged periods of time. 6461 garfield street hollywood, fl. Animals can also easily become entangled in this plastic waste. McDonald's recently announced . Companies are forced to innovate, rethinking their designs and sourcing sustainable materials. Banning plastic straws is also increasingly popular. Getting rid of a single plastic straw may not have a very large effect on the environment. In fact, plastic straws only make up around 0.03 percent of total plastic waste by mass. What about you? 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. Problematic degradation 4. The bottom line of any plastic ban is that we must use less single-use plastics overall. Low rated: 2. 1. 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. We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. They're not alone. 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. Participate in beach or river cleanups. 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. 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. Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? According to market research firms, Americans use about 350 million plastic straws every single day. Avoid plastic wrap altogether by storing leftovers in reusable containers. In fact, plastic bags are considered by many recycling facilities the number one contaminant and their removal from the recycling stream costs municipalities close to $1 million a year [18]. How can you help to ban plastic bags in your area? How? Forty years after the launch of the first universal recycling symbol, only 14 percent of plastic packaging is recycled. National Geographic made a video on how helpless it feels to be caught in a plastic bag. Even when you dont see it, these indestructible particles are everywhere around us, including in the food chain. But single-use plastics come with a steep environmental priceone that well be paying off for millennia. These dyes on their own can leach toxins, but they can also be contaminated with traces of heavy metals such as lead or cadmium, both of which affect kidney health and proper functioning of other organs. 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