Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. How Plastic Bottles Become Death Traps for Hermit Crabs. Yeah I end up going through like 5 paper straws because they keep disintegrating and I can't drink my drink anymore. 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. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. Plastic items are more sanitary than other alternatives. 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. Have a look yourself to imagine the suffering of these animals. 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 ban also kept them from littering neighborhoods and the environment. Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste. This could negatively reflect on their income. Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. A wave of single-use plastic bans is sweeping the country and the globemost often on plastic bags, straws, stirrers, and takeout clamshells. Our reliance on these plastics means we are accumulating waste at a staggering rate. For the oceans sake, wed better hope so. 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. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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. NDLA National Disability Leadership Alliance: Nothing About Us Without Us. This means that you are not consuming more resources every time you need to carry your groceries home. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. 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. Read more about us. They discovered that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestl products were found most often. What about you? Plastic bags are often mistaken for food by animals, birds, and marine life. 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]. Another indirect danger of plastic bags has breeding ground in the pollution they create. An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. Most plastic straws are made from harsh chemicals making them impossible to reuse or recycle. Scientists are showing that we are sending tons of tiny plastic particles into our soils each year, potentially affecting crops and our health. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. 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. There are numerous reasons why PLA straws are not the right substitute for plastic straws . We need to make fully biodegradable polymers that are cost-competitive. As plastic bags are not disposed properly . It was first invented in 1907 by Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland. For example, millions of discarded plastic bags clog water drainage channels and sewers in urban areas of Bangladesh. As a result, the ban will reduce the number of plastic straws polluting the ocean. And recent studies found plastic in the guts of 90 percent of the seabirds tested and 100 percent of the turtles. A plastic straw ban could be a good step in the right direction, but we must use less single-use products overall to actually help the environment. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. 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. The reason to worry is that scientists do not know how our metabolism and immunity will react to the increased concentration of plastic particles in our system. What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? Getting rid of a single plastic straw may not have a very large effect on the environment. The very best alternative is a reusable bag. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. Plastic bags and plastic products overall contain substances that are harmful to our health. Sea turtles are not the only species suffering from plastic bag pollution of the environment. Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. The people of Macon, Georgia, saw through it. It means that most bags can be recycled. These examples could go on for a long time. Since plastic bag recycling requires a specialized equipment that can break down the plastic and mold it into a new product, most municipalities do not have the budget to include their recycling in their waste management program. What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers? Well, before putting it into the laundry basket, take a look at it closely. In countries with a lack of awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags, a polite refusal might not be met with much understanding. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. (Photo credit: Shutterstock). If environmental zealots and sycophants get their way, you won't be allowed to sip it through a plastic straw. 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 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. Paper straws cannot be recycled in any way. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. In many instances, it may seem too awkward for you to refuse the bag, so you accept it this one time, but you should know that it is fine to say no politely even at this stage if you dont want that bag. 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. Its because Asian and US coastlines release large amounts of plastic waste in the ocean [7]. 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. 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. 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. When you sip beverages through a straw you end up inhaling more air into your belly than you would otherwise. The first is to invest in better waste collection in the handful of countries that account for most of the plastic flowing into the ocean. If it looks clean, smells clean (and sounds clean! Starting in the 1960s, plastic straw manufacturing took off. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option. 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. 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. An Oregon community is making spectacular statues out of ocean plastic to raise awareness about a crisis at sea. 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. You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. 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. This measure should encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives. But a whopping 91 percent of all plastic isnt recycled at all. The upshot of the Sydney study is that the California bag ban reduced plastic bag consumption by 71.5% - a huge decrease. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. In Germany alone, we use 40 billion plastic straws every year. Recently, however, plastic straws have been the subject of many plastic bans in an attempt to help the environment. If you are a kid reading this, and you want to get green and help the Earth, you are at the right place. Why is plastic bad for the environment? Not only is plastic estimated to kill millions of marine animals and seabirds each year, but its also contaminating seafood that humans have relied on for millennia, particularly with microplastics in animals guts. Even if you can't go zero waste entirely, it's high time we all ended our reliance on single use plastics. Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links on this site may be referral or affiliate links. All Rights Reserved. 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]. 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. 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. It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. 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. These are known to be hormone-disrupting chemicals. 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. 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. Communities with good awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags have been more successful at enforcing the ban [20]. But should plastic straws really be banned? And when it comes to waste that lasts forever, every ton counts. This leaves few other alternatives other than plastic straws. However, I do believe that we should limit our use of plastic straws by asking businesses to only give out straws on request. But this comes along with many unanswered questions. Will others? Sadly, one of their newly acquired enemies is created by us who should protect them instead. The single biggest reason why people want to ban plastic straws is because of their negative effects on the environment. 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. Although single-use plastic pollution accumulates most visibly on our streets, in fact our water suffers even more. Starbucks recently announced that it would phase out use of plastic straws by the year 2020. Plastic is not the largest contributor of pollution and the . edinburgh airport address. 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. Search for jobs related to Reasons why smoking should be banned articles or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned. But single-use plastics come with a steep environmental priceone that well be paying off for millennia. 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. InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. Her Stand-Up Paddleboard Is a Platform for Campaigning Against Plastic Pollution, A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields. 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. They prevent millions of tons of plastic from entering the waste stream each year. Such changes could have outsized benefits for vulnerable populations that rely on rivers for their water supply. You can be sure of one thing, though. On their long journey, they will encounter many difficulties and only a small portion of them will survive. Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. 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. These steps are pretty straight forward and depend on your own initiative. 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. Look for another place that does accept or use alternative packaging, such as small local stores that use paper wraps or compostable bags. Ban of Plastic Can be Problematic. 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. 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. Dont re-wash something if you can wear it again. (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. Shuddering and unable to breathe, he vomited up five plastic bags. 2. Buy in bulk. This type of plastic is derived from petroleum. In Ireland, where this fee was instituted in 2002, plastic bag usage decreased by about 90 percent. 2. 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. So, for example, companies need to not only make products that are recyclable, but actually make them out of recycled or truly biodegradable material. 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. Alarmingly, scientists estimate that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight in 2050. Then, you should try to explain your reasons for not wanting your products packed in plastic bags. They are tinier than a palm of your hand and appear so fragile when struggling across the beach to make it to the sea. Nearly 20 years ago, a dead pelican was found with its stomach filled with 17 plastic bags [10]. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, There are many uses for plastic that are not only reasonable but important, such as surgical gloves, or straws for people with disabilities. 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 . Thats a promising start. Let us know if you liked this article. Such is the case with many environmental crises: the worst effects are pushed onto overburdened communities with the fewest resources to fight back. 12 Reasons for Banning Plastic Bags: Plastic Bags Are Made With Non-Renewable Energy Plastic Bags Use Up Lots Of Energy Plastic Bags End Up In The Ocean Beach Plastic Litter Is On The Rise Plastic Bags Kill Millions Of Animals Every Year Plastic Takes A Long Time To Disintegrate Plastic Is Harming The Ocean's Coral Plastic Bags Contain Toxins
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