10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned

McDonald's recently announced . 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. CRIDDLE:We need to think about what incentives will promote a culture of recycling and innovation with respect to waste streams. Many people with disabilities rely on flexible straws to drink safely and independently. That is why the United Nations Environmental Programme Secretariat has recommended a ban on all plastic bags globally. And will a plastic straw ban actually be effective when it comes to saving our oceans and environment? Thanks for signing up. Fortunately, microorganisms can also use cheap, renewable substrates, such as food wastes, biogas methane, carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen. This includes waste collection, regular cleanups to remove plastic bag litter along the roads or blown away from landfills and then even processing at landfill sites. 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. 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. The country instituted the ban in 2013 to minimize livestock deaths. 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. 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. Summary: Reduce your use of single-use plastics. Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. We dont know how it will in the long term affect plankton-feeding species and their predators. But you should also consider the other perspective what effect single-use bags have had on the local economy and product affordability. It was first invented in 1907 by Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland. Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. About; Disability Vote Blog; Organizer's Forum; Issues; News; NDLA Webinars 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. Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. Straws don't provide as much utility as bags, so for many this is an easy adjustment. 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. Straws made of paper are neither recyclable nor capable of decomposition. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they can drink. 4. Activists Say Straws Should Be Banned Because They Are a 'Gateway Plastic' Advocates hope a straw ban will be the first step toward broader plastic prohibitions. State Disclosures. Individual choicesand the collective shifts they bring aboutadd up quickly. By 2030, CEO James Quincey has pledged to use 50 percent recycled material in its bottles and cans and recycle one bottle or can. Your email address will not be published. If plastic straws are completely banned, local small businesses like boba tea shops will have to look for pricier alternatives. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. This blog covers a variety of topics including plastic pollution, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and much more. The people of Macon, Georgia, saw through it. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. 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. Low rated: 2. LEAPE:Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of the problem less than 1 percent. 2. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection 1. plastic straws litter our environment Every day, about 3-6 billion plastic straws are produced. Thats bad news for our carbon reduction goals: if plastic production continues unabated, its greenhouse gas emissions could reach 1.34 gigatons per year by 2030equal to adding nearly 300 new coal-fired power plantseven as the need to curb global climate change becomes more urgent. 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. Paper straws cannot be recycled in any way. Well, lets have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now. The phthalate DEHP, as just one example from dozens, is often added to plastic goods like shower curtains and garden hoses to make them more flexiblebut was also found to be a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. So, plastic waste only speeds up the destruction of these most biodiverse ecosystems on earth. The Pasig River is the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution in the world. 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. On other issues, from overfishing to deforestation, we have seen that consumer-facing companies like McDonalds, Unilever and Walmart can be exquisitely sensitive to the concerns of their customers. Let us know if you liked this article. A Ban Could Harm Local Businesses If And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. If environmental zealots and sycophants get their way, you won't be allowed to sip it through a plastic straw. Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. . Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. Nearly 20 years ago, a dead pelican was found with its stomach filled with 17 plastic bags [10]. The risk is that banning straws may confer moral license allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. To align with global efforts, India banned single-use plastic items from July 1, 2022. A complete ban on plastic straws would harm disabled people, which definitely isnt the goal of such a ban. Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste. 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. 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. Increased awareness about the negative effects of single-use plastics would help the environment a lot more than just a simple plastic straw ban. We add another 8 million tons each year thats about five grocery bags full of plastic waste on every foot of shoreline around the world, according to a recent study. 1 producer of plastic waste in the world. Plastic pollutionwhether in our oceans, piling up on our coastlines, or contributing to our climate crisisimpacts vulnerable communities first. The second, more fundamental imperative is to get plastics out of our waste stream. Plastic bag bansideally accompanied by a fee on paper bagsare also catching on. 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. Banning plastic straws is also increasingly popular. You as an individual have the power to make a gradual change in your community. You can share this article on social media by using the share buttons below. In New York, 23 billion plastic bags are used by residents each year. Unfortunately, such costs are typically not included in most economic analyses, as they are not easy to calculate because the equation would have to involve many indirect variables. Plastic straws are not the first iteration of straws. Dont re-wash something if you can wear it again. Divers, for example, descend 130 feet under the water, seek unique-looking creatures, and observe the marine world in all its glory. CRIDDLE:Cost is a huge issue. Ms. LISA PAI . Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. 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]. [PDF] Skip The Straw - 10 Reasons Fact Sheet - Kids. All rights reserved. As a result, they are thrown away and frequently wind up in the ocean, where they pollute the water and eventually kill marine birds, animals, and fish. Overall, the main reason for a plastic straw ban is to help the environment by preventing plastic straws pollution. 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. This measure should encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives. 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. 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 . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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. It is estimated that there are now 150 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean. Ask if they have nonplastic alternatives to plastic straws, stirrers, or bags. Some experts estimate that more than 1 million sea animals are killed each year by straws and other types of plastic trash. 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 is plastic bad for the environment? We need to make fully biodegradable polymers that are cost-competitive. (Photo credit: Shutterstock). Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. Tushy Ace Review (After 3 Months): Is this Luxury Bidet Worth it? 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? McDonalds swapped its plastic straws for paper at its United Kingdom and Ireland restaurants. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. 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. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. Companies are forced to innovate, rethinking their designs and sourcing sustainable materials. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. Already in 2001, researchers found that the mass of microscopic plastic fragments in the North Pacific Central Gyre was 6 times higher than of plankton. Large producers of single-use plastics can make a big environmental impact. 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 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. The majority of this pollutiondominated by single-use plastic wastecomes from countries lacking infrastructure to properly manage waste, particularly in Asia. This is due to the fact that the plastic tubes are far too lightweight to be recycled in an efficient manner. 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. Sadly, one of their newly acquired enemies is created by us who should protect them instead. Martin Grimm/Picture-alliance via Associated Press. Heres everything you need to know before plastic carryout bags disappear from the Empire State on March 1. Theyve even made their way up to the secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The ban also kept them from littering neighborhoods and the environment. Polypropylene is a form of plastic that is frequently used in the production of straws. (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. Because of this, the plants and wildlife in the area have a potential risk of absorbing the microplastics through their diets and drinking water. Look around and you will notice that plastic bags are the most common litter. 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. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy But, getting rid of all single-use plastics definitely will. The majority of plastic bags are made of polyethylene, a substance that is derived from crude oil refining and natural gas processing. 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. Starbucks plans to phase out plastic straws by 2020. Search for jobs related to Reasons why smoking should be banned articles or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. 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. Disney is eliminating single-use plastic straws and stirrers at all its theme parks, resorts and properties. Beached whales have been found with stomachs full of plastic trash. In my opinion, plastic straws should not be banned outright, because many disabled people require plastic straws to drink. The trend has already started. 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. You are free to have your own personal opinion on whether or not we should ban plastic straws. Sea turtles are not the only species suffering from plastic bag pollution of the environment. Additionally, awareness raising campaigns create a social pressure that should inspire local government and institutions to help in making changes at a bigger scale, like a regional ban or levy. Plastic straws only account for roughly one percent of the total amount of waste plastic found in the ocean. Once in the ocean, plastic pollution is extremely dangerous to marine life, and plastic straws are no exception. In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11]. These examples could go on for a long time. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. Rating: 5 (913 reviews) Highest rating: 5. To make matters worse, if plastic straws get into the ocean, they can be mistaken for food by marine animals. 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. One recent survey found plastics in 94 percent of tap water samples in the U.S. and in nearly every brand of bottled water. Yeah I end up going through like 5 paper straws because they keep disintegrating and I can't drink my drink anymore. As plastic bags are not disposed properly . 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. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. 1. In countries with a lack of awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags, a polite refusal might not be met with much understanding. Thus, plastic straws cant be recycled. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? Even if plastic doesnt end up in the ocean, recycled plastic is often exported from high-income countries to developing countries to process. Then, they have a propensity to break down into microplastics, which then clutter the ecosystems in question. 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. Plastic bags are everywhere. Those global companies can be important levers in driving change and shifting to a regenerative, circular economy. Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. The production of these bags is very energy intensive. Criddle has evaluated use of microorganisms to biodegrade plastic materials and to synthesize biodegradable bioplastics from waste feedstocks. The Pasig River in the Philippines is another scary example of the negative effects of plastic bags on the environment. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. A plastic straw ban would serve to reduce the number of plastic straws entering the ocean. 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. Starting in the 1960s, plastic straw manufacturing took off. 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. Some countries have decided to do so after directly experiencing negative impacts of plastic bags, other countries have implemented the ban to reach their sustainability goals. Plastic is putting a strain on waste management systems, our oceans, and vulnerable communities the world over. The very best alternative is a reusable bag. Problematic degradation 4. You should examine what alternatives are available and whether local retailers, who often operate with a limited monthly budget, have the ability to make the switch. Its Plastic Incineration. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. Manufacturers began replacing traditionally paper or glass staples with lighter or more durable and affordable plastic alternatives; plastic jugs replaced milk jars, for instance. Gas, bloating, and intestinal discomfort. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go. Globally, 8 to 10 percent of our current oil supply goes to a plastic bag manufacture [4]. NRDCs Eric Goldstein gives the scoop on the latest environmental villain and explains why plastic straws really are a big menace to our oceans. 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. We should just stick to plastic. Communities and consumers can play vital roles in sparking action. Plastic straws are also the 6th most common trash item found during ocean cleanups. 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. Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. Required fields are marked *. Plastic straws are everywhere we look. It means that most bags can be recycled. They're bad for the environment, kill marine life and damage human health. Straws made of plastic contribute to the pollution of our seas and streams. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, There were numerous cases of birds caught in plastic bags, unable to fly and feed, eventually strangling themselves to death. Such materials already exist in nature. 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.

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