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. Will others? 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. By comparison, an estimated 46 percent of all pollution in the ocean is made up of lost or abandoned fishing gear (Vox). CRIDDLE:We need to think about what incentives will promote a culture of recycling and innovation with respect to waste streams. Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good. In 2015 a mere 24 of these ethane cracker facilities in the United States had the combined carbon output of 3.8 million passenger vehicles. LEAPE:There are two clear imperatives. So, plastic waste only speeds up the destruction of these most biodiverse ecosystems on earth. For example, millions of discarded plastic bags clog water drainage channels and sewers in urban areas of Bangladesh. Leape has long been a leader in ocean conservation efforts. [PDF] Skip The Straw - 10 Reasons Fact Sheet - Kids. The inaccuracy of this number calls into doubt the veracity of the overall case against using plastic straws as a drinking implement. The crisis is so serious that many people are saying that plastic straws should be outlawed. Considering what important source of food plankton is for many other species, it is clear that plastic gets distributed across the marine ecosystem. While these countries and municipalities have been making strides in their part of reducing circulation of plastic bags, in total there are 195 countries in the world [19] and the issue of plastic pollution is still getting out of our hands. Killing wildlife 5. Come with external costs 9. How? (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. 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. Quick Navigation for Reasons Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Banned REASONS 1. Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. You are free to have your own personal opinion on whether or not we should ban plastic straws. 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. But beyond these impacts, the bans have cultural effects. Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. 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. Reusable shopping bags are very durable and can be reused many times over the course of their useful life. 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. There are some great initiatives that strive to provide jobs for women in rural communities with limited possibilities of securing monthly income. 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. An Oregon community is making spectacular statues out of ocean plastic to raise awareness about a crisis at sea. Plastic bags. What Is Plastic Made Of And How Is It Manufactured? 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. Paper vs. (Some places are going so far as to ban single-use plastics entirely; most notably, India intends to go this route by 2022.) Then, you should try to explain your reasons for not wanting your products packed in plastic bags. 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. 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. This type of plastic is derived from petroleum. Marine animals bear the burden of this influx of garbage into their habitats. Should Plastic be Banned Essay for Students in English - VEDANTU 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]. 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. 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. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. 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. Plastic items are more sanitary than other alternatives. Sugar and oils are too expensive. 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]. About half the cost of making biodegradable polymers is the cost of feedstock. Arguments Why Plastic Should Be Banned - Green Matters Yeah I end up going through like 5 paper straws because they keep disintegrating and I can't drink my drink anymore. ), then its clean! 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. 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]. (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. Some companies are taking initiative on their own. As plastic bags are not disposed properly . Alarmingly, scientists estimate that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight in 2050. Will Shifting to Reusable Straws Really Make a Difference? Well, a possible alternative solution could be to encourage businesses to only give out plastic straws on request. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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. 1. Read more about us. 82 percent of the responding food service establishments were aware of the prohibition, and 69 percent of those establishments viewed the ban favorably. In the United States, California has banned single-use plastic bags in 2016, but the city of San Francisco has locally issued this ban already in 2012 and consumers pay a little fee for other alternatives like compostable bags or recycled paper bags. As it turns out, many microorganisms make moldable bioplastic polymers that are fully degradable. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in. Car Modifications for Electric Vehicles: Whats Possible. A complete ban on plastic straws would harm disabled people, which definitely isnt the goal of such a ban. 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. Why is plastic bad for the environment? 2015-2023 Greentumble. If the environmental movement drew up a Most Unwanted list for 2018, the plastic drinking straw surely would land Please share this message with your friends so that together, we can tackle our global plastic problem. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and A plastic straw ban could be a good step in the right direction, but we must use less single-use products overall to actually help the environment. Your email address will not be published. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned - tmtnevins.com It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. On average, taxpayers end up paying about $88 per year just on plastic bag waste [15]. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go. However, one thing we know, is that by introducing a pollutant that may never break down in the environment can have implications that will far exceed any of our predictions. Communities with good awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags have been more successful at enforcing the ban [20]. Juan Cristobal Cobo/Bloomberg via Getty Images. By 2030, CEO James Quincey has pledged to use 50 percent recycled material in its bottles and cans and recycle one bottle or can. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. 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. However, I do believe that we should limit our use of plastic straws by asking businesses to only give out straws on request. Plastics also permeate freshwater systems like rivers and streams. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. 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. InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. Even if you can't go zero waste entirely, it's high time we all ended our reliance on single use plastics. Our reliance on these plastics means we are accumulating waste at a staggering rate. For wildlife, microplastics can be particularly dangerous; when eaten they can easily accumulate inside an animals body and cause health issues, like punctured organs or fatal intestinal blockages. 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. Cause of environmental pollution 2. 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]. You probably already saw the video, but if you didnt, you can watch it below (WARNING: Graphic Content): Supporters of plastic straw bans claim that the ban will help reduce our use of single-use plastics. For example, a reusable jute bag should last at least 4 years, during which it can prevent the use of 600 single-use plastic bags. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. That's a whole 900 tons of plastic waste produced every day, and that's just for plastic straws! Martin Grimm/Picture-alliance via Associated Press. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. Participate in beach or river cleanups. Once a paper product has been contaminated with food or drink, it must be disposed of in a landfill. Fortunately, microorganisms can also use cheap, renewable substrates, such as food wastes, biogas methane, carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen. and reefs composed of coral, F) I Plastic straws are one of the top five most often used items. An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. 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. Help us break the cycle of causing unnecessary harm and damage in the name of "convenience". If this happens, there are a few scenarios you can follow: The best thing you can do with those old plastic bags that have been stashed in that overflowing drawer in your kitchen is to recycle them. 2. Forty years after the launch of the first universal recycling symbol, only 14 percent of plastic packaging is recycled. Beached whales have been found with stomachs full of plastic trash. 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. We should do likewise. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? 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. Increased awareness about the negative effects of single-use plastics would help the environment a lot more than just a simple plastic straw ban. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. 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. The first answer to this question that comes to everyones mind is to stop using plastic bags, right? 6461 garfield street hollywood, fl. And will a plastic straw ban actually be effective when it comes to saving our oceans and environment? Why we shouldn't ban plastic straws Antithesis Journal Harmful to human health 6. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment? You as an individual have the power to make a gradual change in your community.
Chatham County Youth Baseball,
Caroline Renfro And Titus,
Robert Feder Radio Ratings,
Articles OTHER