10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? | | 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. About half the cost of making biodegradable polymers is the cost of feedstock. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. In Germany alone, we use 40 billion plastic straws every year. 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. In my opinion, plastic straws should not be banned outright, because many disabled people require plastic straws to drink. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. We can also decrease costs through improved bioprocessing methods, through metabolic engineering and by exploring and harnessing the incredible diversity of bioplastic-making systems that evolution has already created. 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, some disabled people may not be able to properly hold or pick up a cup, so they need to use straws to drink properly. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. When you sip beverages through a straw you end up inhaling more air into your belly than you would otherwise. How exactly does the use of plastic do harm to the environment?Plastic has a very long half-life in the environment, during which it poses a danger to animals and spreads toxic chemicals.Additionally, plastic is a contributor to the warming of the planet.Nearly every type of plastic is manufactured using chemicals that are leftover from the manufacturing of fossil fuels, which contribute to global warming (gas, oil and even coal). 1. (Source: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment), Stanford scientists are among a growing number of researchers harnessing artificial intelligence techniques to bring more realistic representations of ubiquitous atmospheric ripples into global climate models. 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. 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. 1. . All you need to do is paste your ZIP code and then see the list of stores with bag drop-off in your nearest location. 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. Killing wildlife 5. 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. However, I do believe that we should limit our use of plastic straws by asking businesses to only give out straws on request. They suspect that it may add stress on the liver by introducing more pathogens into the body. If the environmental movement drew up a Most Unwanted list for 2018, the plastic drinking straw surely would land 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. By 2030, CEO James Quincey has pledged to use 50 percent recycled material in its bottles and cans and recycle one bottle or can. 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. Communities and consumers can play vital roles in sparking action. Juan Cristobal Cobo/Bloomberg via Getty Images. We are working hard to improve our content. PLASTIC STRAWS CANT BE BROKEN DOWN BY NATURE. Lizzie Carr is shining a light on what is floating through the worlds waterways, and breaking athletic records along the way. In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11]. We should also try to give up plastic straws if we are capable of doing so. Nows the Time. Required fields are marked *. The people of Macon, Georgia, saw through it. You can be sure of one thing, though. Paper straws cost on average around 2.5 cents ($0.025), whereas plastic straws cost only half a cent ($0.005). 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. Most retailers will get your point, but it can also happen that they will not be willing to sell you some products without placing it in their plastic bags because of having to oblige with some hygiene and sanitary standards (for example when selling meat products). Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. 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]. There are definitely differing opinions on whether or not plastic straws should be banned. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. No! Thus, plastic straws cant be recycled. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. 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. 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. Actress Nina Nelson and other celebrities made a video claiming that plastic. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. Even if plastic doesnt end up in the ocean, recycled plastic is often exported from high-income countries to developing countries to process. The most common are inorganic dyes that are added to change the color of plastic bags. We all know what the debate is between plastic and paper straws but paper straws are horrible they will immediately break apart in your mouth and feel horrible. The explanation is quite simple. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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 It started with cardboard straws, but once plastic production in America increased, people realized it was quicker and cheaper to produce plastic straws. Have you ever seen endangered sea turtles hatch? Better alternatives are available 10. Which brings us to the second part. The most heartbreaking part of this is that the affected animals are not aware they eat something that will make them feel miserable and will slowly kill them. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection Reduce Aesthetic value of your neighborhood. Most of it is either dumped in landfills or ends up in the ocean. A 2017 Environmental Sciences and Technology study reported that up to 95 percent of plastic waste enters oceans from one of 10 riverseight in Asia and two in Africa. Even if you can't go zero waste entirely, it's high time we all ended our reliance on single use plastics. 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. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. Exposure to microplastics, as well as the chemicals that are added to plastics during processing, harm our health. Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. LEAPE:Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of the problem less than 1 percent. Marine animals bear the burden of this influx of garbage into their habitats. What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? 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]. 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. In effect, nature has designed this plastic for disassembly. 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. 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. 1. plastic straws litter our environment Every day, about 3-6 billion plastic straws are produced. For many of us it is hard to imagine that something as small as a plastic bag can actually cause flooding, but residents of some cities in Bangladesh have been struggling with this problem every monsoon season for the past two decades [3]. 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. If you are a kid reading this, and you want to get green and help the Earth, you are at the right place. 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. 4. 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. This way, disabled people can continue to be served, while also reducing the number of plastic straws that we use. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned. Reducing plastic use is the most effective means of avoiding this waste (and the impacts linked to plastic production and use). Plastic pollutionwhether in our oceans, piling up on our coastlines, or contributing to our climate crisisimpacts vulnerable communities first. The problem with plastic straws is that they are one of the biggest causes of unnecessary plastic pollution. 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. There is a lot of research now underway on the health effects of ocean plastics, but we already know that some plastics, and the chemicals that attach themselves to plastics in the water, can cause cancer, genetic disruptions and other ill effects. Post date: 18 yesterday. Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect absorption of some important trace elements (like iron) which we need for maintaining proper health [13]. So, plastic waste only speeds up the destruction of these most biodiverse ecosystems on earth. Well, lets have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now. Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste. Your email address will not be published. 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. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. Will others? Have a look yourself to imagine the suffering of these animals. You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they can drink. Plastic utensils are convenient and straws are fun for kids, but much of that plastic eventually winds up in a landfill or as litter. Overall, the goal of a plastic straw ban should be to increase public awareness for single-use plastics and their nasty effects on the environment. 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. 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. Another indirect danger of plastic bags has breeding ground in the pollution they create. McDonald's recently announced . This leaves few other alternatives other than plastic straws. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. Thats a promising start. Starting in the 1960s, plastic straw manufacturing took off. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. They store these polymers inside their cells as tiny granules. Will Shifting to Reusable Straws Really Make a Difference? 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].

Orlando Magic Salaries, Sherwin Williams White Duck Vs Alabaster, Schizophrenia Wearing Winter Clothes In Summer, Articles OTHER