But, getting rid of all single-use plastics definitely will. They store these polymers inside their cells as tiny granules. 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. Her Stand-Up Paddleboard Is a Platform for Campaigning Against Plastic Pollution, A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields. The first answer to this question that comes to everyones mind is to stop using plastic bags, right? Another indirect danger of plastic bags has breeding ground in the pollution they create. Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links on this site may be referral or affiliate links. Unfortunately, such a high level of pollution doesnt come without consequences. A straw with our iced coffee, a plastic bag to carry our takeout, a wrapper on a candy bar: taken individually, each seems harmless. Reduce Aesthetic value of your neighborhood. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy For instance, a lot of the plastic produced in Asian countries is for products that serve U.S. demandand the United States often sends plastic waste back to these countries for recycling.). 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. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. Not only does banning single-use plastic reduce pollution, but it also reduces demand for plastic production thats contributing to global climate change. (Everything You Need To Know). 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned (Everything You Need To Know)Continue, Many restaurants have banned plastic straws due to their harmful effects on the environment, and have switched to paper alternatives instead. Plastic is putting a strain on waste management systems, our oceans, and vulnerable communities the world over. We should just stick to plastic. This amount of marine life, which includes fish and turtles, is sufficient to fill 125 school buses. Some opposers of the plastic straw ban say that a ban is unlikely to actually help the environment, as plastic straws do not make up a large percentage of plastic in the ocean. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Plastic bags are everywhere. and reefs composed of coral, F) I Plastic straws are one of the top five most often used items. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. Microplastics are plastic debris that measures less than five millimetres, or 0.2 inches, in diameter. Some experts estimate that more than 1 million sea animals are killed each year by straws and other types of plastic trash. Read more about us. 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. 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]. The inaccuracy of this number calls into doubt the veracity of the overall case against using plastic straws as a drinking implement. 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. The crucial challenge is to ensure that these bans are just a first step. Paper vs. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. Recycling more plastic, more frequently, reduces its footprint. Without further due, here are the top 3 ways kids can help, Read More 3 Ways Kids can Help the EarthContinue, What Are Microplastics? If it looks clean, smells clean (and sounds clean! These actions are a response to calls for change and shifting consumer habits. 15. PDF Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection Should Plastic Straws Be Banned? | Persuasive Writing | Scholastic It topped 60 million tons (54.4 million metric tons) in 2010 based on a September 2018 report titled "Plastic Pollution."But China announced it plans to outlaw the production and sale of . A wave of single-use plastic bans is sweeping the country and the globemost often on plastic bags, straws, stirrers, and takeout clamshells. What can I do for you? Considering what important source of food plankton is for many other species, it is clear that plastic gets distributed across the marine ecosystem. Additionally, someone has to pay the cost of dealing with plastic bags in the waste stream. Refineries where crude oil is turned into plastic make up one of the most greenhouse gasintensive industries in the manufacturing sector. Banning straws may confer 'moral license' allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. Among the U.S. cities to outlaw plastic straws are Malibu, Berkeley, Seattle, and Miami Beach. You as an individual have the power to make a gradual change in your community. We should do likewise. 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. Such materials already exist in nature. Sea turtles are not the only species suffering from plastic bag pollution of the environment. Marine animals bear the burden of this influx of garbage into their habitats. On average, plastic bags cost retailers about 3-5 cents each. Straws made of plastic contribute to the pollution of our seas and streams. 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. Plastic straws only account for roughly one percent of the total amount of waste plastic found in the ocean. 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. It is predicted that each year 8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean, with 1.152.41 tons of that plastic being carried there by major rivers all over the world. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. 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]. Not only does the waste destroy the land itself, but when plastic is incinerated (as is the case for unrecyclable plastic at some illegal facilities) its toxic fumes quickly become a health hazard for residents, leading to everything from skin rashes to cancer. It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. As a result, the ban will reduce the number of plastic straws polluting the ocean. China doesnt want our plastic waste anymore. While we may not pay for plastic bags directly when we go shopping, they are anything but free.. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. American beaver populations are booming in the western United States as conditions grow hotter and drier. 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. Not easy to recycle 7. Do plastic straws really make a difference? - Stanford Earth Come with external costs 9. 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]. McDonalds swapped its plastic straws for paper at its United Kingdom and Ireland restaurants. 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. Arguments Why Plastic Should Be Banned - Green Matters Rating: 5 (913 reviews) Highest rating: 5. Do you wonder why? Plastic bags floating in the ocean resemble jellyfish, one of the main sources of food for some species of sea turtles, especially the critically-endangered Leatherback turtles. Cook more often, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers. Companies are trying to sell communities on a toxic solution to the plastic pollution crisis. Recently, however, plastic straws have been the subject of many plastic bans in an attempt to help the environment. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. 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. This strategy has been adopted by some countries and municipalities so far and has proven to greatly reduce plastic bag usage by consumers. Once a paper product has been contaminated with food or drink, it must be disposed of in a landfill. 4. 2. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. The Last Straw: 5 Reasons You Should Ditch Plastic Straws 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. What do the bans accomplish? The process of drilling for plastics source materials, oil and gas, leads to methane leaking and flaring and is often combined with clearing forests and wetlands that otherwise would have sequestered carbon. This is due to the fact that the plastic tubes are far too lightweight to be recycled in an efficient manner. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go. The very best alternative is a reusable bag. These steps are pretty straight forward and depend on your own initiative. its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. 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. You could either discuss with a store manager a possibility of bringing your own containers for these products. JIM LEAPE: Our oceans are currently swimming with plastics. There are definitely differing opinions on whether or not plastic straws should be banned. Buy in bulk. Most drop-off collection points accept plastic bags made from high-density polyethylene (plastic number 2) and low-density polyethylene (plastic number 4). For most, straws are not a necessity, but a convenience. It has been projected that, if current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish. 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. Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. By simply using less plastic, you can help keep marine life from eating and getting entangled in garbage. So, for example, companies need to not only make products that are recyclable, but actually make them out of recycled or truly biodegradable material. Nows the Time. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. 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. Post date: 18 yesterday. 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. 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. If you are constantly feeling gassy, then you should definitely consider drinking beverages the old fashioned way. The most heartbreaking part of this is that the affected animals are not aware they eat something that will make them feel miserable and will slowly kill them. . Beyond the costs associated with the production and purchasing of plastic bags by retailers, there are many external costs that are often not considered. 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. Coca-Cola makes an estimated 110 billion plastic bottles a year. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect absorption of some important trace elements (like iron) which we need for maintaining proper health [13]. 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-. Which brings us to the second part. Or you may need to accept that plastic bag this time and then start campaigning for a plastic bag ban in your area . | | 8 good reasons to give up plastic straws - CareElite What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers? Will others? Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. Help us break the cycle of causing unnecessary harm and damage in the name of "convenience". They are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials. Facebook; Contact Now . According to a study that was published by Bloomberg News, it is predicted that the percentage of contaminated ocean water that is caused by plastic straws and stirrers is a shockingly modest 0.03 percent. Ban of Plastic Can be Problematic. PLASTIC STRAWS CANT BE BROKEN DOWN BY NATURE. 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. 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]. Divers, for example, descend 130 feet under the water, seek unique-looking creatures, and observe the marine world in all its glory. CRIDDLE:We need to think about what incentives will promote a culture of recycling and innovation with respect to waste streams. Fortunately, microorganisms can also use cheap, renewable substrates, such as food wastes, biogas methane, carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen. Beached whales have been found with stomachs full of plastic trash. 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. However, we are all too familiar with situations when a cashier automatically puts your items in a plastic bag before you can oppose it. This could negatively reflect on their income. This blog covers a variety of topics including plastic pollution, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and much more. Have some dirty clothes that you just wore today? 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.
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