Car Modifications for Electric Vehicles: Whats Possible. They suspect that it may add stress on the liver by introducing more pathogens into the body. If the answer is yes, you should know that this inadvertent overconsumption of single-use plastic carries with it a very high cost to the environment, which in turn also negatively affects our health. 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 is estimated that there are now 150 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean. So, for example, companies need to not only make products that are recyclable, but actually make them out of recycled or truly biodegradable material. 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. Refineries where crude oil is turned into plastic make up one of the most greenhouse gasintensive industries in the manufacturing sector. This way, disabled people can continue to be served, while also reducing the number of plastic straws that we use. The country instituted the ban in 2013 to minimize livestock deaths. 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. It has been projected that, if current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish. New and sustainable business models are needed to address the current plastic deluge and also to enable a new generation of sustainable materials and technologies. female pomeranian temperament; splinterlands terms and conditions; carbon emissions data by company; ( ) + . 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. Better alternatives are available 10. It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. NDLA National Disability Leadership Alliance: Nothing About Us Without Us. Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. But, are paper straws really better for the environment? When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. By simply using less plastic, you can help keep marine life from eating and getting entangled in garbage. 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. But you should also consider the other perspective what effect single-use bags have had on the local economy and product affordability. Ill talk about this more in the next section: By itself, a plastic straw ban is unlikely to have a large impact on the environment. Unfortunately, such a high level of pollution doesnt come without consequences. Some companies are taking initiative on their own. 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. According to the researchers, the turtle likely mistook the straw for food and swallowed it. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. This blog covers a variety of topics including plastic pollution, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and much more. Your email address will not be published. 2. 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.). its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. McDonalds swapped its plastic straws for paper at its United Kingdom and Ireland restaurants. This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as time and place elements, style, and grammar); you cant resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you cant republish our material wholesale or automaticallyyou need to select stories individually; you can't republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when youve used one of our stories. TOP 10 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned BEST and NEWEST 1 producer of plastic waste in the world. This amount of marine life, which includes fish and turtles, is sufficient to fill 125 school buses. Participate in beach or river cleanups. Straws made of paper are neither recyclable nor capable of decomposition. It started with cardboard straws, but once plastic production in America increased, people realized it was quicker and cheaper to produce plastic straws. Starting in the 1960s, plastic straw manufacturing took off. This means that you need to first educate yourself about the problem. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they can drink. Now, lets get into the negatives of a plastic straw ban: While banning plastic straws might help the environment in some aspects (well talk about this later), there are also many reasons against (or cons) of a plastic straw ban. 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. 2023 Get Green Now. Using these non-renewable resources to make plastic bags is very short-sighted, considering that the typical useful life of each plastic bag is about 12 minutes and that the worlds oil reserves contain enough oil to cover our needs through 2050, as the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates. Paper vs. Due to its chemistry, nothing in nature can make plastic biodegrade. PDF Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection Coca-Cola makes an estimated 110 billion plastic bottles a year. 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. 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. LEAPE:Microplastics pervade the oceans. NRDCs Eric Goldstein gives the scoop on the latest environmental villain and explains why plastic straws really are a big menace to our oceans. 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. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned. Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. In my opinion, plastic straws should not be banned outright, because many disabled people require plastic straws to drink. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned - david-el.co.il China doesnt want our plastic waste anymore. 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. Once in the ocean, plastic pollution is extremely dangerous to marine life, and plastic straws are no exception. Paper straws cost on average around 2.5 cents ($0.025), whereas plastic straws cost only half a cent ($0.005). Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. Plastic items are more sanitary than other alternatives. 'Banning plastic straws will not be enough': The fight to clean the oceans Litter can be the first stage in a waste stream that enters waterways as plastics tossed on the street are washed away by rain or travel via storm drains into rivers and streams. Plastic straws only account for roughly one percent of the total amount of waste plastic found in the ocean. As for reusable straws, they arent flexible as plastic ones and can be easily forgotten at home. 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. Instead of searching for another buyer, maybe some soul-searching is in order. Such is the case with many environmental crises: the worst effects are pushed onto overburdened communities with the fewest resources to fight back. 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. 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. This could negatively reflect on their income. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection Companies are trying to sell communities on a toxic solution to the plastic pollution crisis. Some experts estimate that more than 1 million sea animals are killed each year by straws and other types of plastic trash. 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. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. 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. Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? 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 microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. What do the bans accomplish? Plastic fragments in the ocean such as those from plastic bags can absorb pollutants like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) easily. 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. Instead of investing in quality goods that will last, we often prioritize convenience over durability and consideration of long-term impacts. 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. Well, before putting it into the laundry basket, take a look at it closely. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. They are a part of our modern lives, and we dont tend to think much about them. They contribute to the contamination of our landfills and seas when they are discarded after use. 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. Its also important to look at the bigger picture regarding plastic bans. In Ireland, where this fee was instituted in 2002, plastic bag usage decreased by about 90 percent. The production of these bags is very energy intensive. Most plastic straws are made from harsh chemicals making them impossible to reuse or recycle. 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. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. update email soon. We will 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. 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. There are numerous reasons why PLA straws are not the right substitute for plastic straws . 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. 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 . Or you may need to accept that plastic bag this time and then start campaigning for a plastic bag ban in your area . For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. You could either discuss with a store manager a possibility of bringing your own containers for these products. Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. Stanford experts discuss the limitations of these bans and the potential for meaningful change. The second, more fundamental imperative is to get plastics out of our waste stream. Individual choicesand the collective shifts they bring aboutadd up quickly. The small pilot whale, found in a Thai canal this past June, is another symptom of a crisis in the worlds oceans. 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. The cashier usually understands, only had to do what instructed and what most customers expect (unfortunately) from him or her. National Geographic made a video on how helpless it feels to be caught in a plastic bag. Nows the Time. (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. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. 2. For most, straws are not a necessity, but a convenience. Large producers of single-use plastics can make a big environmental impact. Quick Navigation for Reasons Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Banned REASONS 1. [PDF] Skip The Straw - 10 Reasons Fact Sheet - Kids. Gas, bloating, and intestinal discomfort. Plastic bag bansideally accompanied by a fee on paper bagsare also catching on. (Everything You Need To Know). In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. When the monsoon rains start, streets get waterlogged just after the first few minutes because the water cannot pass through clogged sewerage pipes. Cook more often, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers. Paper straws cannot be recycled in any way. We should do likewise. Dont re-wash something if you can wear it again. Heres everything you need to know before plastic carryout bags disappear from the Empire State on March 1. 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. 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. 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. 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. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned They store these polymers inside their cells as tiny granules. Your email address will not be published. Reducing plastic use is the most effective means of avoiding this waste (and the impacts linked to plastic production and use). While an extra two cents may not seem like a lot, it could make a difference for some businesses that depend on plastic straws. 12 Compelling Reasons For Banning Plastic Bags [2023 Update] - MindsetEco Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy This includes grocery plastic bags, Ziplock-type bags, dry cleaning bags and bread bags. 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. The majority of this pollutiondominated by single-use plastic wastecomes from countries lacking infrastructure to properly manage waste, particularly in Asia. Actress Nina Nelson and other celebrities made a video claiming that plastic. 1. Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education. How? PLASTIC STRAWS CANT BE BROKEN DOWN BY NATURE. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. A plastic straw ban would serve to reduce the number of plastic straws entering the ocean. CRIDDLE:We need to think about what incentives will promote a culture of recycling and innovation with respect to waste streams. Well, a possible alternative solution could be to encourage businesses to only give out plastic straws on request. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Sea turtles are not the only species suffering from plastic bag pollution of the environment. Plastic bag litter has even caused great problems in some areas. Here's a quick list of the ways plastic straws may be harming your health: 1. InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. A straw with our iced coffee, a plastic bag to carry our takeout, a wrapper on a candy bar: taken individually, each seems harmless. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go. To align with global efforts, India banned single-use plastic items from July 1, 2022. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. Greenwashing Alert: Chemical Recycling Isnt Actually Recycling. Left alone, plastics dont really break down; they just break up. 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. They're bad for the environment, kill marine life and damage human health. Juan Cristobal Cobo/Bloomberg via Getty Images. 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. Its because Asian and US coastlines release large amounts of plastic waste in the ocean [7]. They're not alone. 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. Such materials already exist in nature. Plastic straws are also the 6th most common trash item found during ocean cleanups. What is the root of the problem (consumers or municipal waste management)? If you are a kid reading this, and you want to get green and help the Earth, you are at the right place. 6461 garfield street hollywood, fl. (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. 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. Thats a promising start. Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? Plastics also permeate freshwater systems like rivers and streams. Simply, refuse them when offered and bring your own reusable bag when shopping. 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. When animals ingest plastic, it clogs up their digestive systems, which can easily choke or kill animals like birds or sea turtles. At the beginning of July 2018, Seattle became the largest U.S. city to ban plastic straws. But single-use plastics come with a steep environmental priceone that well be paying off for millennia. About; Disability Vote Blog; Organizer's Forum; Issues; News; NDLA Webinars Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste. 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 Tiny plastic particles have been found in human feces. They are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. Getting rid of a single plastic straw may not have a very large effect on the environment. But the sheer amount of plastic waste inundates communities until they are drowning under thousands of tons of plastic trash. Will others? What can I do for you? However, as an environmental enthusiast, heres what I think about this ban. Reasons why smoking should be banned articlestrabajos 1. 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. Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. 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. Why Plastic Bags And Straws Should Not Be Banned Reasons why smoking should be banned articles jobs Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good. As it turns out, many microorganisms make moldable bioplastic polymers that are fully degradable. 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. So, retailers incorporate this cost hiddenly into prices of other items sold at stores. It may not seem like much, but when you imagine how many bags they have to provide throughout a year, you will quickly realize that plastic bags are costly. These tiny plastic particles have been found in our oceans, soil, and even in the air. Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. These pieces can be so small that they are invisible to our eye. 10 Reasons You Should Give Up Plastic Straws - sustainablemotown 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. Although single-use plastic pollution accumulates most visibly on our streets, in fact our water suffers even more. If environmental zealots and sycophants get their way, you won't be allowed to sip it through a plastic straw. 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. Buying a product through my link comes at no extra cost to you, and I only recommend products that I believe in. 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. To make matters worse, if plastic straws get into the ocean, they can be mistaken for food by marine animals. And, if you dont like wearing the same shirt or pants, Read More Dont wash it if it doesnt look dirtyContinue, At age 50, Kay is a little over halfway through her life as a driver. that do collect plastic bags and other plastic films and send them for proper recycling. Reduce Aesthetic value of your neighborhood. But beyond these impacts, the bans have cultural effects. There are some great initiatives that strive to provide jobs for women in rural communities with limited possibilities of securing monthly income. That's a whole 900 tons of plastic waste produced every day, and that's just for plastic straws! Have a look yourself to imagine the suffering of these animals. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. Why Are Plastic Straws Bad for the Environment & Should Be Banned 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-.
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10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned