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. PLASTIC STRAWS CANT BE BROKEN DOWN BY NATURE. Do you wonder why? Straws, Ives says, made the perfect target: too inconsequential to really be missed but so ubiquitous that their absence would be noticed. Paper vs. NRDCs Eric Goldstein gives the scoop on the latest environmental villain and explains why plastic straws really are a big menace to our oceans. The second, more fundamental imperative is to get plastics out of our waste stream. We should just stick to plastic. 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 production of these bags is very energy intensive. 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. Plastics also permeate freshwater systems like rivers and streams. 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. Nows the Time. 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. 4. ), then its clean! What Is Plastic Made Of And How Is It Manufactured? 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. Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? By 2030, CEO James Quincey has pledged to use 50 percent recycled material in its bottles and cans and recycle one bottle or can. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. But a whopping 91 percent of all plastic isnt recycled at all. According to some estimates, the cost of plastic bag cleanup is about 17 cents per bag [14] and the cost is paid by us once again. Why is plastic bad for the environment? 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. Plastic use costs approximately $75 billion a year [16]. 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. 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. 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. Its Plastic Incineration. This is because the customers voluntarily reduce their consumption of plastic bags, which in turn provides enough time for retailers to find suitable alternatives and switch to them. America Needs a Plastics Intervention. You are free to have your own personal opinion on whether or not we should ban plastic straws. In fact, plastic straws only make up around 0.03 percent of total plastic waste by mass. Such changes could have outsized benefits for vulnerable populations that rely on rivers for their water supply. Learn how your comment data is processed. But should plastic straws really be banned? 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. 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. 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. Petroleum-based plastic bags are composed of very resistant synthetic polymers that may take up to 1,000 years or never until they completely degrade in natural environments [6]. 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]. This means that you need to first educate yourself about the problem. 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. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? The risk is that banning straws may confer moral license allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. For example, millions of discarded plastic bags clog water drainage channels and sewers in urban areas of Bangladesh. These modern conveniences are so ubiquitousand so quickly thrown outthat they hardly register in our minds. You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. | | India, for example, generates 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day but collects only 60 percent of it. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection Fortunately, microorganisms can also use cheap, renewable substrates, such as food wastes, biogas methane, carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen. Reducing plastic use is the most effective means of avoiding this waste (and the impacts linked to plastic production and use). How To Make A Bracelet Out Of Plastic String? 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. Unfortunately, such a high level of pollution doesnt come without consequences. Car Modifications for Electric Vehicles: Whats Possible. Beyond the costs associated with the production and purchasing of plastic bags by retailers, there are many external costs that are often not considered. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. We use them to drink beverages at home and we get them at almost every restaurant. Plastic utensils are convenient and straws are fun for kids, but much of that plastic eventually winds up in a landfill or as litter. Facebook; Contact Now . How? Put simply, single-use plastics are goods that are made primarily from fossil fuelbased chemicals (petrochemicals) and are meant to be disposed of right after useoften, in mere minutes. In this article, Ill go over both the pros and cons of a plastic straw ban. 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. They store these polymers inside their cells as tiny granules. Have some dirty clothes that you just wore today? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Well, a possible alternative solution could be to encourage businesses to only give out plastic straws on request. The explanation is quite simple. 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. Criddle isdirector of StanfordsCodiga Resource Recovery Center,a member ofStanford Bio-Xand an affiliate of thePrecourt Institute for Energy. An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. And when it comes to waste that lasts forever, every ton counts. (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. Increased awareness about the negative effects of single-use plastics would help the environment a lot more than just a simple plastic straw ban. 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. 15. 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. When animals ingest plastic, it clogs up their digestive systems, which can easily choke or kill animals like birds or sea turtles. Martin Grimm/Picture-alliance via Associated Press. State Disclosures. So that free plastic bag isnt so free after all. 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]. This blog covers a variety of topics including plastic pollution, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and much more. Do you also have that overflowing kitchen drawer full of plastic bags you bring from your shopping trips? 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 That's a whole 900 tons of plastic waste produced every day, and that's just for plastic straws! Rating: 5 (913 reviews) Highest rating: 5. 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. Most plastic straws are made from harsh chemicals making them impossible to reuse or recycle. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option. A calf had to be put down because of indigestion caused by 8 plastic bags in its stomach. This could negatively reflect on their income. Plastic bags are everywhere. update email soon. The first answer to this question that comes to everyones mind is to stop using plastic bags, right? Your email address will not be published. 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. Look around and you will notice that plastic bags are the most common litter. This amount of marine life, which includes fish and turtles, is sufficient to fill 125 school buses. Overall, the main reason for a plastic straw ban is to help the environment by preventing plastic straws pollution. McDonald's recently announced . 2. Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. Starting in the 1960s, plastic straw manufacturing took off. National Geographic made a video on how helpless it feels to be caught in a plastic bag. There are some great initiatives that strive to provide jobs for women in rural communities with limited possibilities of securing monthly income. LEAPE:Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of the problem less than 1 percent. 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. 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. What about you? Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy Plastic straws are everywhere we look. As part of the Break Free From Plastic movement, Greenpeace volunteers conducted an audit of plastic pollution along coastlines, sifting through tens of thousands of individual pieces across 42 countries to identify the pollutions sources. Marine animals bear the burden of this influx of garbage into their habitats. 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]. According to market research firms, Americans use about 350 million plastic straws every single day. Gas, bloating, and intestinal discomfort. Many of you may have heard it already. Theyre in about a quarter of the seafood in our markets, and even in table salt. 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. 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. Plastic bag litter has even caused great problems in some areas. If you are a kid reading this, and you want to get green and help the Earth, you are at the right place. Such materials already exist in nature. Most drop-off collection points accept plastic bags made from high-density polyethylene (plastic number 2) and low-density polyethylene (plastic number 4). Buy in bulk. On average, taxpayers end up paying about $88 per year just on plastic bag waste [15]. Its also important to look at the bigger picture regarding plastic bans. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. There are many uses for plastic that are not only reasonable but important, such as surgical gloves, or straws for people with disabilities. It started with cardboard straws, but once plastic production in America increased, people realized it was quicker and cheaper to produce plastic straws. We do not know the full impact of microplastics exceeding the mass of plankton in the ocean. If we ban single-use plastic straws we will have to turn to the dangerous alternatives.In source So, plastic bag recycling facilities are few and far between and transportation to one could be expensive. 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. Those global companies can be important levers in driving change and shifting to a regenerative, circular economy. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Not easy to recycle 7. What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? Read more about us. Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. As it turns out, many microorganisms make moldable bioplastic polymers that are fully degradable. If you are constantly feeling gassy, then you should definitely consider drinking beverages the old fashioned way. 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. We all are just trying to do our job well. Heres everything you need to know before plastic carryout bags disappear from the Empire State on March 1. 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]. When the monsoon rains start, streets get waterlogged just after the first few minutes because the water cannot pass through clogged sewerage pipes. Single use plastics wreak havoc on wildlife and the earth. Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect absorption of some important trace elements (like iron) which we need for maintaining proper health [13]. Post date: 18 yesterday. 6461 garfield street hollywood, fl. China doesnt want our plastic waste anymore. And the recent fracking boom, resulting in a surplus of oil, is fueling a subsequent rise in cracker plants, too. LEAPE:There are two clear imperatives. Have a look yourself to imagine the suffering of these animals. Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good. Additionally, a plastic straw ban could also act as a gateway into other single-use plastic bans for items like plastic bottles and plastic bags, which are worse for the environment than plastic straws. But these cases make up a small fraction of single-use plastic. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. Refineries where crude oil is turned into plastic make up one of the most greenhouse gasintensive industries in the manufacturing sector. Well, lets have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now. On their long journey, they will encounter many difficulties and only a small portion of them will survive. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As plastic bags tend to get caught in recycling machinery, most recycling facilities do not have the capacity to recycle plastic bags and therefore do not accept them. Stanford experts discuss the limitations of these bans and the potential for meaningful change. Tiny plastic particles have been found in human feces. 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. The Pasig River in the Philippines is another scary example of the negative effects of plastic bags on the environment. The crucial challenge is to ensure that these bans are just a first step. 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. 1. 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. The Pasig River is the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution in the world. Thanks for signing up. 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. Companies are trying to sell communities on a toxic solution to the plastic pollution crisis. Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned. High costs for cleanup 8. Considering what important source of food plankton is for many other species, it is clear that plastic gets distributed across the marine ecosystem. LEAPE:Microplastics pervade the oceans. We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. 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. While an extra two cents may not seem like a lot, it could make a difference for some businesses that depend on plastic straws. There were numerous cases of birds caught in plastic bags, unable to fly and feed, eventually strangling themselves to death. 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.) Problematic degradation 4. On average, plastic bags cost retailers about 3-5 cents each. Ban of Plastic Can be Problematic. 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. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. 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. Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. Participate in beach or river cleanups. 2. No! 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. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. Due to its chemistry, nothing in nature can make plastic biodegrade. Plastic straws are not the first iteration of straws. Consumer outrage about the plastics crisis is already commanding attention from big companies and from many governments. Alarmingly, scientists estimate that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight in 2050. 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. Killing wildlife 5. Some companies are taking initiative on their own. In 2015 researchers from the University of Georgia estimated that between 4.8 million and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic per year make their way into the oceans via people living within 30 miles of a coast. Your email address will not be published. This measure should encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives. Sugar and oils are too expensive. Also, giving a speech in . Not only does banning single-use plastic reduce pollution, but it also reduces demand for plastic production thats contributing to global climate change. 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. We dont know how it will in the long term affect plankton-feeding species and their predators. (Some places are going so far as to ban single-use plastics entirely; most notably, India intends to go this route by 2022.) What do the bans accomplish? Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. As plastic bags are not disposed properly . For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. 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. Our reliance on these plastics means we are accumulating waste at a staggering rate. 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.
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