All rights reserved. That is why the United Nations Environmental Programme Secretariat has recommended a ban on all plastic bags globally. 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. Accompanied by high social accountability and musical garbage trucks, that strategy has proved wildly effective: the island now reports recycling rates above 50 percent. Plastic, in general, is one of the biggest pollutants in the world. 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. McDonalds swapped its plastic straws for paper at its United Kingdom and Ireland restaurants. Look around and you will notice that plastic bags are the most common litter. Once the wheel starts spinning, it leads to even more positive changes. To align with global efforts, India banned single-use plastic items from July 1, 2022. Increased awareness about the negative effects of single-use plastics would help the environment a lot more than just a simple 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. Even if you can't go zero waste entirely, it's high time we all ended our reliance on single use plastics. 15. While an extra two cents may not seem like a lot, it could make a difference for some businesses that depend on plastic straws. This type of plastic is derived from petroleum. These examples could go on for a long time. Participate in beach or river cleanups. It started with cardboard straws, but once plastic production in America increased, people realized it was quicker and cheaper to produce 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. 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. O This requires the usage of 500 million straws, Straws and other items made of plastic are harmful, Every day in the United States. 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. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. 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. 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. The crucial challenge is to ensure that these bans are just a first step. 12 Reasons for Banning Plastic Bags: Plastic Bags Are Made With Non-Renewable Energy Plastic Bags Use Up Lots Of Energy Plastic Bags End Up In The Ocean Beach Plastic Litter Is On The Rise Plastic Bags Kill Millions Of Animals Every Year Plastic Takes A Long Time To Disintegrate Plastic Is Harming The Ocean's Coral Plastic Bags Contain Toxins Gas, bloating, and intestinal discomfort. 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. Reducing plastic use is the most effective means of avoiding this waste (and the impacts linked to plastic production and use). Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. How To Make A Bracelet Out Of Plastic String? Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. We've all become too hooked on the availability and comfort of the stuff. To make matters worse, if plastic straws get into the ocean, they can be mistaken for food by marine animals. Help us break the cycle of causing unnecessary harm and damage in the name of "convenience". Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. Heres everything you need to know before plastic carryout bags disappear from the Empire State on March 1. 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. (Photo credit: Shutterstock). At the beginning of July 2018, Seattle became the largest U.S. city to ban plastic straws. 4. This means that you are not consuming more resources every time you need to carry your groceries home. Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education. 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. And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. Its Plastic Incineration. There is only one requirement these plastic bags need to be dry and clean, otherwise they contaminate the entire batch and your effort will do more harm than good. Problematic degradation 4. They prevent millions of tons of plastic from entering the waste stream each year. National Geographic made a video on how helpless it feels to be caught in a plastic bag. 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. An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. (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. 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. Post date: 18 yesterday. Manufacturers began replacing traditionally paper or glass staples with lighter or more durable and affordable plastic alternatives; plastic jugs replaced milk jars, for instance. These are known to be hormone-disrupting chemicals. 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. Each day, the United States of America uses 500 million drinking straws. Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect absorption of some important trace elements (like iron) which we need for maintaining proper health [13]. 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. Plastic pollutionwhether in our oceans, piling up on our coastlines, or contributing to our climate crisisimpacts vulnerable communities first. They're not alone. InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. 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. When the monsoon rains start, streets get waterlogged just after the first few minutes because the water cannot pass through clogged sewerage pipes. In this article, Ill go over both the pros and cons of a plastic straw ban. And will a plastic straw ban actually be effective when it comes to saving our oceans and environment? LEAPE:Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of the problem less than 1 percent. 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. Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. Paper vs. 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]. On their long journey, they will encounter many difficulties and only a small portion of them will survive. 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. 1. What can I do for you? 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. And when it comes to waste that lasts forever, every ton counts. 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. If plastic straws are completely banned, local small businesses like boba tea shops will have to look for pricier alternatives. McDonald's recently announced . Facebook; Contact Now . 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]. 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]. Plastic straws are not the first iteration of straws. 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. An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. 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. Harmful to human health 6. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. But should plastic straws really be banned? However, we are all too familiar with situations when a cashier automatically puts your items in a plastic bag before you can oppose it. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. Plastic is not the largest contributor of pollution and the . If you are constantly feeling gassy, then you should definitely consider drinking beverages the old fashioned way. Most of it is either dumped in landfills or ends up in the ocean. These tiny plastic particles have been found in our oceans, soil, and even in the air. Plastic items are more sanitary than other alternatives. Simply, refuse them when offered and bring your own reusable bag when shopping. One of the most significant negative effects that plastic bags have on the natural world is that it takes a very long time for them to degrade.In addition, the breakdown of plastic bags in the sun results in the release of hazardous compounds into the surrounding soil, and the combustion of plastic bags results in the release of a poisonous material into the surrounding air, contributing to the problem of ambient air pollution. Most retailers will get your point, but it can also happen that they will not be willing to sell you some products without placing it in their plastic bags because of having to oblige with some hygiene and sanitary standards (for example when selling meat products). A calf had to be put down because of indigestion caused by 8 plastic bags in its stomach. Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. 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. 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. Fortunately, microorganisms can also use cheap, renewable substrates, such as food wastes, biogas methane, carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen. Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. Unfortunately, such a high level of pollution doesnt come without consequences. 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. We all are just trying to do our job well. Sea turtles are not the only species suffering from plastic bag pollution of the environment. It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. 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. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they. The first answer to this question that comes to everyones mind is to stop using plastic bags, right? This includes grocery plastic bags, Ziplock-type bags, dry cleaning bags and bread bags. Quick Navigation for Reasons Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Banned REASONS 1. 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. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned. Help raise awareness of fellow consumers that means everyone when you think about it (unless they dont shopever). 6461 garfield street hollywood, fl. Plastic bags and plastic products overall contain substances that are harmful to our health. Thats a promising start. Nows the Time. Her Stand-Up Paddleboard Is a Platform for Campaigning Against Plastic Pollution, A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. We all know what the debate is between plastic and paper straws but paper straws are horrible they will immediately break apart in your mouth and feel horrible. This blog covers a variety of topics including plastic pollution, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and much more. One recent survey found plastics in 94 percent of tap water samples in the U.S. and in nearly every brand of bottled water. 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. 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 Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. 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 also important to remember that waste management is just one part of the global materials cycle. Author: floridadep.gov. The second, more fundamental imperative is to get plastics out of our waste stream. Policies like bottle bill lawswhich generally require retailers to add a fee on individual bottles, which can then be partially redeemed by customers when they recycleare a way to increase corporate responsibility for waste while providing a monetary incentive to recycle. 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. 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. New research shows their prolific dam building benefits river water quality so much, it outweighs the damaging influence of climate-driven droughts. Disney is eliminating single-use plastic straws and stirrers at all its theme parks, resorts and properties. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. 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. Hi, Im Hugh, and my mission with Get Green Now is to raise awareness of environmental issues and teach people how to live sustainably. 2. You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. They're bad for the environment, kill marine life and damage human health. They are a part of our modern lives, and we dont tend to think much about them. Summary: Reduce your use of single-use plastics. Even when you dont see it, these indestructible particles are everywhere around us, including in the food chain. What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers? (Everything You Need To Know). 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. Leape has long been a leader in ocean conservation efforts. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in. Theyre in about a quarter of the seafood in our markets, and even in table salt. They are tinier than a palm of your hand and appear so fragile when struggling across the beach to make it to the sea. The risk is that banning straws may confer moral license allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. China 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned Manufacturers, Supply 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned with High Quality, Wholesale 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned with Low Price, High Quality. Coca-Cola makes an estimated 110 billion plastic bottles a year. 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. Will Shifting to Reusable Straws Really Make a Difference? As it turns out, many microorganisms make moldable bioplastic polymers that are fully degradable. In Ireland, where this fee was instituted in 2002, plastic bag usage decreased by about 90 percent. Avoid individually packaged goods, like snack packs. Here's a quick list of the ways plastic straws may be harming your health: 1. This way, disabled people can continue to be served, while also reducing the number of plastic straws that we use. NRDCs Eric Goldstein gives the scoop on the latest environmental villain and explains why plastic straws really are a big menace to our oceans. But a whopping 91 percent of all plastic isnt recycled at all. PLASTIC STRAWS CANT BE BROKEN DOWN BY NATURE. Plastic fragments in the ocean such as those from plastic bags can absorb pollutants like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) easily. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. Rating: 5 (913 reviews) Highest rating: 5. Recently, however, plastic straws have been the subject of many plastic bans in an attempt to help the environment. The inaccuracy of this number calls into doubt the veracity of the overall case against using plastic straws as a drinking implement. But single-use plastics come with a steep environmental priceone that well be paying off for millennia. We should also try to give up plastic straws if we are capable of doing so. This could negatively reflect on their income. Our plastic addiction is having a devastating impact on our oceans, our wildlife, and our health. 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. 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. For most, straws are not a necessity, but a convenience. Lizzie Carr is shining a light on what is floating through the worlds waterways, and breaking athletic records along the way. Due to its chemistry, nothing in nature can make plastic biodegrade. by TFK Kid Reporter Maria Suarez, 10 Bellaire, Texas Plastic straws should not be banned until we can find alternatives that are affordable, environmentally friendly, and acceptable for disabled people. So, plastic bag recycling facilities are few and far between and transportation to one could be expensive. Greenwashing Alert: Chemical Recycling Isnt Actually Recycling. Sadly, one of their newly acquired enemies is created by us who should protect them instead. Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. 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. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. What Is Plastic Made Of And How Is It Manufactured? 300 to 700 plastic bags pass through the hands of an average American in just one year [8] and a survey of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs concluded that the average household in the United Kingdom stores around 40 plastic shopping bags at home [2]. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in the mid-19th century, it wasnt until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed. its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. Banning straws may confer 'moral license' allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. Single use plastics wreak havoc on wildlife and the earth. Why? Globally, 8 to 10 percent of our current oil supply goes to a plastic bag manufacture [4]. 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. Thus, plastic straws cant be recycled. JIM LEAPE: Our oceans are currently swimming with plastics. 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 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. 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. The upshot of the Sydney study is that the California bag ban reduced plastic bag consumption by 71.5% - a huge decrease. Most drop-off collection points accept plastic bags made from high-density polyethylene (plastic number 2) and low-density polyethylene (plastic number 4). Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection 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. Communities with good awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags have been more successful at enforcing the ban [20].