About half the cost of making biodegradable polymers is the cost of feedstock. 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.) For wildlife, microplastics can be particularly dangerous; when eaten they can easily accumulate inside an animals body and cause health issues, like punctured organs or fatal intestinal blockages. Start from yourself and slowly expand to your family and friends. By comparison, an estimated 46 percent of all pollution in the ocean is made up of lost or abandoned fishing gear (Vox). 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. Facebook; Contact Now . Nearly 20 years ago, a dead pelican was found with its stomach filled with 17 plastic bags [10]. (Some places are going so far as to ban single-use plastics entirely; most notably, India intends to go this route by 2022.) 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. 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. Globally, 8 to 10 percent of our current oil supply goes to a plastic bag manufacture [4]. What never leaves, Read More Sustainable Diving & Snorkeling: How to Prevent Damage to Marine EcosystemsContinue, Top 3 Ways Kids can Help the Earth! 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. These steps are pretty straight forward and depend on your own initiative. Refineries where crude oil is turned into plastic make up one of the most greenhouse gasintensive industries in the manufacturing sector. This amount of marine life, which includes fish and turtles, is sufficient to fill 125 school buses. The single biggest reason why people want to ban plastic straws is because of their negative effects on the environment. Banning straws may confer 'moral license' allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. Animals can also easily become entangled in this plastic waste. You can be sure of one thing, though. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. Without further due, here are the top 3 ways kids can help, Read More 3 Ways Kids can Help the EarthContinue, What Are Microplastics? 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. 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. PDF Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection Tweet, call, or send letters to these companies to ask them to switch to more durable, recyclable, compostable, renewable, and/or recycled-content packaging with less fossil fuelderived plastic. You are free to have your own personal opinion on whether or not we should ban plastic straws. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned But this comes along with many unanswered questions. Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? Ban of Plastic Can be Problematic. 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. An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? And will a plastic straw ban actually be effective when it comes to saving our oceans and environment? Coca-Cola makes an estimated 110 billion plastic bottles a year. Most of it is either dumped in landfills or ends up in the ocean. Es gratis registrarse y presentar tus propuestas laborales. The crucial challenge is to ensure that these bans are just a first step. Once a person gets into the habit of bringing reusable bags when shopping, it is not much of an inconvenience at all. Plastic use costs approximately $75 billion a year [16]. It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All rights reserved. How? By simply using less plastic, you can help keep marine life from eating and getting entangled in garbage. The crisis is so serious that many people are saying that plastic straws should be outlawed. 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. 1 producer of plastic waste in the world. 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. 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. If it looks clean, smells clean (and sounds clean! And the recent fracking boom, resulting in a surplus of oil, is fueling a subsequent rise in cracker plants, too. . Prior the ban, 70 percent of livestock losses were attributed to plastic bag ingestion. On average, plastic bags cost retailers about 3-5 cents each. This is due to the fact that the plastic tubes are far too lightweight to be recycled in an efficient manner. "To us, it was the 'gateway plastic' to the larger, more . 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. Polyethylene terephthalate, one of the most commonly recycled plastics and the material that makes up most water and soda bottles, can be turned into everything from polyester fabric to automotive parts. McDonald's recently announced . Yeah I end up going through like 5 paper straws because they keep disintegrating and I can't drink my drink anymore. Also, giving a speech in . 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. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems facing our world today. These dyes on their own can leach toxins, but they can also be contaminated with traces of heavy metals such as lead or cadmium, both of which affect kidney health and proper functioning of other organs. You can share this article on social media by using the share buttons below. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. This means that you need to first educate yourself about the problem. Well, before putting it into the laundry basket, take a look at it closely. 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. Consumer outrage about the plastics crisis is already commanding attention from big companies and from many governments. Let us know if you liked this article. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. This strategy has been adopted by some countries and municipalities so far and has proven to greatly reduce plastic bag usage by consumers. The Pasig River is the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution in the world. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned - manufacturer, factory When animals ingest plastic, it clogs up their digestive systems, which can easily choke or kill animals like birds or sea turtles. A study analyzes water transactions that leave water in the river, and shows how they could be scaled up to avert cuts for major water users while supporting imperiled ecosystems. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go. Will Shifting to Reusable Straws Really Make a Difference? Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics have been produced, and half of that in the past 15 years alone. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. We should also try to give up plastic straws if we are capable of doing so. 1. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. China doesnt want our plastic waste anymore. Many people with disabilities rely on flexible straws to drink safely and independently. So, plastic bag recycling facilities are few and far between and transportation to one could be expensive. State Disclosures. 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. In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11]. Some tributaries of the river have been filled with plastic waste to the level that you could almost walk across them without getting your feet wet. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. 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. 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. LEAPE:Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of the problem less than 1 percent. Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. ), then its clean! 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 majority of this pollutiondominated by single-use plastic wastecomes from countries lacking infrastructure to properly manage waste, particularly in Asia. Accompanied by high social accountability and musical garbage trucks, that strategy has proved wildly effective: the island now reports recycling rates above 50 percent. According to the United States National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, microplastics are so small that they move straight through water filtration, Read More What Are Microplastics and Why Are They a Concern? Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. Buying a product through my link comes at no extra cost to you, and I only recommend products that I believe in. Should Plastic be Banned Essay for Students in English - VEDANTU Plastic straws are not the first iteration of straws. 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. Hi, Im Hugh, and my mission with Get Green Now is to raise awareness of environmental issues and teach people how to live sustainably. 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. Paper straws cost on average around 2.5 cents ($0.025), whereas plastic straws cost only half a cent ($0.005). Straws made of plastic contribute to the pollution of our seas and streams. However, I do believe that we should limit our use of plastic straws by asking businesses to only give out straws on request. 10 Reasons You Should Give Up Plastic Straws - sustainablemotown its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. Polypropylene is a form of plastic that is frequently used in the production of straws. Sadly, one of their newly acquired enemies is created by us who should protect them instead. What Is Plastic Made Of And How Is It Manufactured? (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. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. Beached whales have been found with stomachs full of plastic trash. Tiny plastic particles have been found in human feces. Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. Killing wildlife 5. . Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. But a whopping 91 percent of all plastic isnt recycled at all. 12 Compelling Reasons For Banning Plastic Bags [2023 Update] - MindsetEco Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. 'Banning plastic straws will not be enough': The fight to clean the oceans
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