10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned

10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned

An Oregon community is making spectacular statues out of ocean plastic to raise awareness about a crisis at sea. They're not alone. We should just stick to plastic. We shouldnt ban plastic straws if it creates an accessibility issue. McDonald's recently announced . China doesnt want our plastic waste anymore. You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. If you are a kid reading this, and you want to get green and help the Earth, you are at the right place. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. There are some great initiatives that strive to provide jobs for women in rural communities with limited possibilities of securing monthly income. High costs for cleanup 8. But these cases make up a small fraction of single-use plastic. 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. On average, taxpayers end up paying about $88 per year just on plastic bag waste [15]. Hi, Im Hugh, and my mission with Get Green Now is to raise awareness of environmental issues and teach people how to live sustainably. Nearly 20 years ago, a dead pelican was found with its stomach filled with 17 plastic bags [10]. 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. Sadly, one of their newly acquired enemies is created by us who should protect them instead. Avoid individually packaged goods, like snack packs. 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. 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. 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. Many of you may have heard it already. | | 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. The production of these bags is very energy intensive. We use them to drink beverages at home and we get them at almost every restaurant. What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned. Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. A complete ban on plastic straws would harm disabled people, which definitely isnt the goal of such a ban. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. We all are just trying to do our job well. On their long journey, they will encounter many difficulties and only a small portion of them will survive. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. Look around and you will notice that plastic bags are the most common litter. 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. (Its also important to remember that waste management is just one part of the global materials cycle. Better alternatives are available 10. In Germany alone, we use 40 billion plastic straws every year. 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. 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. Leape has long been a leader in ocean conservation efforts. They suspect that it may add stress on the liver by introducing more pathogens into the body. Let us know if you liked this article. Have you ever seen endangered sea turtles hatch? And cracker plantswhich break, or crack, ethane molecules, a component of natural gas, into the chemical building blocks of plastic productsare energy intensive and highly polluting. In the spirit of eliminating waste, plastic straws appeared to be a way to further the cause: straws aren't essential to the dining experience, and by banning them, oceans, streets, and general society would theoretically benefit. According to market research firms, Americans use about 350 million plastic straws every single day. In my opinion, plastic straws should not be banned outright, because many disabled people require plastic straws to drink. Exposure to microplastics, as well as the chemicals that are added to plastics during processing, harm our health. Why is plastic bad for the environment? How To Make A Bracelet Out Of Plastic String? . Plastic straws, being so lightweight and non-biodegradable, are readily carried into the water, where they eventually break down into smaller and smaller pieces of microplastic. Have a look yourself to imagine the suffering of these animals. In addition, despite the fact that the FDA has deemed this to be safe for consumption, chemicals from the plastic may seep into liquids, releasing substances that have the potential to influence estrogen levels. 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. Criddle isdirector of StanfordsCodiga Resource Recovery Center,a member ofStanford Bio-Xand an affiliate of thePrecourt Institute for Energy. 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. 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 Harmful to human health 6. We dont know how it will in the long term affect plankton-feeding species and their predators. Yeah I end up going through like 5 paper straws because they keep disintegrating and I can't drink my drink anymore. 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. The risk is that banning straws may confer moral license allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. A wave of single-use plastic bans is sweeping the country and the globemost often on plastic bags, straws, stirrers, and takeout clamshells. State Disclosures. In fact, plastic straws only make up around 0.03 percent of total plastic waste by mass. The bottom line of any plastic ban is that we must use less single-use plastics overall. It has been projected that, if current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish. An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. It started with cardboard straws, but once plastic production in America increased, people realized it was quicker and cheaper to produce plastic straws. Criddle and Leape are also senior fellows at theStanford Woods Institute for the Environment. The problem with plastic straws is that they are one of the biggest causes of unnecessary plastic pollution. Killing wildlife 5. They're bad for the environment, kill marine life and damage human health. Plastic straws are not the first iteration of straws. 2. Criddle has evaluated use of microorganisms to biodegrade plastic materials and to synthesize biodegradable bioplastics from waste feedstocks. . Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. If the environmental movement drew up a Most Unwanted list for 2018, the plastic drinking straw surely would land Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics have been produced, and half of that in the past 15 years alone. 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 changes could have outsized benefits for vulnerable populations that rely on rivers for their water supply. 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. Banning plastic straws is also increasingly popular. Most of it is either dumped in landfills or ends up in the ocean. 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. But beyond these impacts, the bans have cultural effects. Single-use plastics in particularespecially small items like straws, bags, and cutleryare traditionally hard to recycle because they fall into the crevices of recycling machinery and therefore are often not accepted by recycling centers. Cook more often, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers. These are known to be hormone-disrupting chemicals. What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers? 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. About half the cost of making biodegradable polymers is the cost of feedstock. 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. and reefs composed of coral, F) I Plastic straws are one of the top five most often used items. 1. 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. Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. Its also important to look at the bigger picture regarding plastic bans. National Geographic made a video on how helpless it feels to be caught in a plastic bag. In Ireland, where this fee was instituted in 2002, plastic bag usage decreased by about 90 percent. 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]. India, for example, generates 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day but collects only 60 percent of it. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. The Pasig River is the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution in the world. In New York, 23 billion plastic bags are used by residents each year. Paper vs. We should also try to give up plastic straws if we are capable of doing so. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. ), then its clean! Look for another place that does accept or use alternative packaging, such as small local stores that use paper wraps or compostable bags. The majority of plastic bags are made of polyethylene, a substance that is derived from crude oil refining and natural gas processing. Post date: 18 yesterday. Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste. its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. There are definitely differing opinions on whether or not plastic straws should be banned. CRAIG CRIDDLE: In addition to recycling more and reusing materials more, we need new materials that can do the same jobs as current plastics, but are biodegradable, nontoxic and do not concentrate in food chains. In fact, I just listed many reasons and points in this article that support both sides of the argument. Also, giving a speech in . 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. A plastic straw ban would serve to reduce the number of plastic straws entering the ocean. Buying a product through my link comes at no extra cost to you, and I only recommend products that I believe in. Tushy Ace Review (After 3 Months): Is this Luxury Bidet Worth it? As for reusable straws, they arent flexible as plastic ones and can be easily forgotten at home. Large producers of single-use plastics can make a big environmental impact. Facebook; Contact Now . How Plastic Bottles Become Death Traps for Hermit Crabs. Participate in beach or river cleanups. Carrying reusable bags and bottles is one great way to avoid single-use plastics in our day-to-day lives; more on preventing plastic waste can be found below. 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. For the oceans sake, wed better hope so. Forty years after the launch of the first universal recycling symbol, only 14 percent of plastic packaging is recycled. While we may not pay for plastic bags directly when we go shopping, they are anything but free.. However, in 2014, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) supported the first project to calculate the real cost of plastic, including adverse environmental impacts of its production, use and disposal. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy 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. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. Microplastics are plastic debris that measures less than five millimetres, or 0.2 inches, in diameter. Its Plastic Incineration. 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. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. 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]. Stanford experts discuss the limitations of these bans and the potential for meaningful change. Your email address will not be published. If there is one piece of advice that everyone should remember, it would be that nothing is for free in this world. Busca trabajos relacionados con Reasons why smoking should be banned articles o contrata en el mercado de freelancing ms grande del mundo con ms de 22m de trabajos. 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. We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. Start from yourself and slowly expand to your family and friends. Rating: 5 (913 reviews) Highest rating: 5. 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. (Photo credit: Shutterstock). Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. 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. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection And Starbucks, which uses an estimated one billion plastic straws per year, is phasing them out in favor of paper ones. 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. About; Disability Vote Blog; Organizer's Forum; Issues; News; NDLA Webinars LEAPE:Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of the problem less than 1 percent. 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. Most drop-off collection points accept plastic bags made from high-density polyethylene (plastic number 2) and low-density polyethylene (plastic number 4). 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. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they can drink. Alarmingly, scientists estimate that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight in 2050. 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. 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. You cannot recycle them in the regular curbside collection of plastic, but you should be able to find many larger food stores and retailers (for example: Target, Walmart, Tesco, Morrisons, etc.) The people of Macon, Georgia, saw through it. Quick Navigation for Reasons Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Banned REASONS 1. Banning straws may confer 'moral license' allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. female pomeranian temperament; splinterlands terms and conditions; carbon emissions data by company; ( ) + . Overall, the main reason for a plastic straw ban is to help the environment by preventing plastic straws pollution. LEAPE:There are two clear imperatives. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. If plastic straws are completely banned, local small businesses like boba tea shops will have to look for pricier alternatives. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems facing our world today. Scientists are showing that we are sending tons of tiny plastic particles into our soils each year, potentially affecting crops and our health. The resulting number is staggering. Actress Nina Nelson and other celebrities made a video claiming that plastic. We've all become too hooked on the availability and comfort of the stuff. Starting in the 1960s, plastic straw manufacturing took off. Author: floridadep.gov. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in the mid-19th century, it wasnt until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed. One recent survey found plastics in 94 percent of tap water samples in the U.S. and in nearly every brand of bottled water. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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]. Individual actions can lead to collective actions. These modern conveniences are so ubiquitousand so quickly thrown outthat they hardly register in our minds. New research shows their prolific dam building benefits river water quality so much, it outweighs the damaging influence of climate-driven droughts. According to the researchers, the turtle likely mistook the straw for food and swallowed it. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. There are many uses for plastic that are not only reasonable but important, such as surgical gloves, or straws for people with disabilities. O This requires the usage of 500 million straws, Straws and other items made of plastic are harmful, Every day in the United States. Although single-use plastic pollution accumulates most visibly on our streets, in fact our water suffers even more. Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. Not easy to recycle 7. Thus, plastic straws cant be recycled. Oil and natural gas are non-renewable fossil fuel-based resources and through their extraction and production, they emit greenhouse gases, which contribute to global climate change. Another example of a locally issued ban is Seattle where not only single-use plastic bags have been banned but also single-use compostable and biodegradable bags. So, for example, companies need to not only make products that are recyclable, but actually make them out of recycled or truly biodegradable material. This means that the average consumption of plastic bags per person dropped from 328 bags per year to just 21 [20]. Will Shifting to Reusable Straws Really Make a Difference? It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. It is good for our environment, health and global climate. These microscopic plastic fragments, no more than 5 millimeters long, are hard to detectand are just about everywhere. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. 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. Due to its chemistry, nothing in nature can make plastic biodegrade. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. This means that you are not consuming more resources every time you need to carry your groceries home. 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. But this comes along with many unanswered questions. In countries with a lack of awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags, a polite refusal might not be met with much understanding. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. The single biggest reason why people want to ban plastic straws is because of their negative effects on the environment. Its because Asian and US coastlines release large amounts of plastic waste in the ocean [7]. Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. Making just one simple swap, like purchasing a reusable water bottle, can spare the environment hundreds of plastic bottles each year. Paper straws cost on average around 2.5 cents ($0.025), whereas plastic straws cost only half a cent ($0.005). 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. Read more about us. Well, lets have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now. Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. 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. 82 percent of the responding food service establishments were aware of the prohibition, and 69 percent of those establishments viewed the ban favorably. 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. These steps are pretty straight forward and depend on your own initiative. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. This includes grocery plastic bags, Ziplock-type bags, dry cleaning bags and bread bags. 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.

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