10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned

Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. And will a plastic straw ban actually be effective when it comes to saving our oceans and environment? Recently, however, plastic straws have been the subject of many plastic bans in an attempt to help the environment. 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. 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. 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. Coca-Cola has said that it alone produces three million tons of plastic packaging each year, equivalent to a terrifying 200,000 plastic bottles per minute. 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. Disney is eliminating single-use plastic straws and stirrers at all its theme parks, resorts and properties. Such is the case with many environmental crises: the worst effects are pushed onto overburdened communities with the fewest resources to fight back. New research shows their prolific dam building benefits river water quality so much, it outweighs the damaging influence of climate-driven droughts. Look around and you will notice that plastic bags are the most common litter. Why? Then, they have a propensity to break down into microplastics, which then clutter the ecosystems in question. Another indirect danger of plastic bags has breeding ground in the pollution they create. Killing wildlife 5. 1. plastic straws litter our environment Every day, about 3-6 billion plastic straws are produced. Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. In 2015 a mere 24 of these ethane cracker facilities in the United States had the combined carbon output of 3.8 million passenger vehicles. One recent survey found plastics in 94 percent of tap water samples in the U.S. and in nearly every brand of bottled water. 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. But a whopping 91 percent of all plastic isnt recycled at all. On their long journey, they will encounter many difficulties and only a small portion of them will survive. Participate in beach or river cleanups. These examples could go on for a long time. 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. Many of you may have heard it already. That's a whole 900 tons of plastic waste produced every day, and that's just for plastic straws! 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. We should also try to give up plastic straws if we are capable of doing so. This leaves few other alternatives other than plastic straws. Those global companies can be important levers in driving change and shifting to a regenerative, circular economy. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. 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. This could negatively reflect on their income. All Rights Reserved. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. What do the bans accomplish? And recent studies found plastic in the guts of 90 percent of the seabirds tested and 100 percent of the turtles. 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. India, for example, generates 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day but collects only 60 percent of it. The truth is that we do not know yet the full scale of negative impacts plastic waste can have on marine and terrestrial environments because it hasnt been around long enough to allow us to assess possible scenarios of its influence on natural cycles. We've all become too hooked on the availability and comfort of the stuff. Leape has long been a leader in ocean conservation efforts. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. Straws make up roughly 4 percent of the plastic waste in terms of the number of pieces, but a far smaller percentage in terms of the weight.Due to the fact that the typical weight of a straw is just around one sixty-seventh of an ounce, or 42 grams, the total weight of all those billions of straws combined only accounts for roughly 2,000 tons of the almost 9 million tons of plastic debris that enters the sea each year. What Are Single-use Plastics and Should They Be Banned? Plastic utensils are convenient and straws are fun for kids, but much of that plastic eventually winds up in a landfill or as litter. Plastics also permeate freshwater systems like rivers and streams. 10 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned The first country to ban single-use plastic bags was Bangladesh in 2002 when plastic bag litter clogged drainage channels and contributed to destructive floods. It has been projected that, if current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish. 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. Theyve even made their way up to the secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. update email soon. Should Plastic be Banned Essay for Students in English - VEDANTU A 2018 study of coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific has confirmed that plastic waste deposited on coral reefs promotes outbreaks of diseases that gradually destroy whole reef colonies [12]. Exposure to microplastics, as well as the chemicals that are added to plastics during processing, harm our health. They contribute to the contamination of our landfills and seas when they are discarded after use. This includes grocery plastic bags, Ziplock-type bags, dry cleaning bags and bread bags. This is due to the fact that the plastic tubes are far too lightweight to be recycled in an efficient manner. 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, getting rid of all single-use plastics definitely will. 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. A straw with our iced coffee, a plastic bag to carry our takeout, a wrapper on a candy bar: taken individually, each seems harmless. 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. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in the mid-19th century, it wasnt until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed. It is good for our environment, health and global climate. Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good. Companies are forced to innovate, rethinking their designs and sourcing sustainable materials. Why Plastic Straws Are Being Banned - Square 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned - david-el.co.il Problematic degradation 4. These are known to be hormone-disrupting chemicals. LEAPE:Microplastics pervade the oceans. So that free plastic bag isnt so free after all. Single use plastics wreak havoc on wildlife and the earth. Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste. Plastic, in general, is one of the biggest pollutants in the world. 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. 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. The process of drilling for plastics source materials, oil and gas, leads to methane leaking and flaring and is often combined with clearing forests and wetlands that otherwise would have sequestered carbon. Prior the ban, 70 percent of livestock losses were attributed to plastic bag ingestion. Communities and consumers can play vital roles in sparking action. Why we shouldn't ban plastic straws Antithesis Journal Plastic bags floating in the ocean resemble jellyfish, one of the main sources of food for some species of sea turtles, especially the critically-endangered Leatherback turtles. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems facing our world today. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. Activists Say Straws Should Be Banned Because They Are a 'Gateway Plastic' When you sip beverages through a straw you end up inhaling more air into your belly than you would otherwise. (Its also important to remember that waste management is just one part of the global materials cycle. Yeah I end up going through like 5 paper straws because they keep disintegrating and I can't drink my drink anymore. This amount of marine life, which includes fish and turtles, is sufficient to fill 125 school buses. They're bad for the environment, kill marine life and damage human health. Car Recycling: Everything You Need to Know (With Statistics), Sustainable Diving & Snorkeling: How to Prevent Damage to Marine Ecosystems, What Are Microplastics and Why Are They a Concern? The Last Straw: 5 Reasons You Should Ditch Plastic Straws You are free to have your own personal opinion on whether or not we should ban plastic straws. Theyre in about a quarter of the seafood in our markets, and even in table salt. The trend has already started. Accompanied by high social accountability and musical garbage trucks, that strategy has proved wildly effective: the island now reports recycling rates above 50 percent. These microscopic plastic fragments, no more than 5 millimeters long, are hard to detectand are just about everywhere. Shuddering and unable to breathe, he vomited up five plastic bags. The resulting number is staggering. 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 Earth's ocean surface. High costs for cleanup 8. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. 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 But the sheer amount of plastic waste inundates communities until they are drowning under thousands of tons of plastic trash. But these cases make up a small fraction of single-use plastic. Yes, it should. The country instituted the ban in 2013 to minimize livestock deaths. Plastic pollutionwhether in our oceans, piling up on our coastlines, or contributing to our climate crisisimpacts vulnerable communities first. Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. that do collect plastic bags and other plastic films and send them for proper recycling. 8 good reasons to give up plastic straws - CareElite Low rated: 2. A Ban Could Harm Local Businesses If Required fields are marked *. Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. 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. 2015-2023 Greentumble. 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. Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? | | The majority of this pollutiondominated by single-use plastic wastecomes from countries lacking infrastructure to properly manage waste, particularly in Asia. A plastic straw ban would serve to reduce the number of plastic straws entering the ocean. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. Well, before putting it into the laundry basket, take a look at it closely. CRIDDLE:We need to think about what incentives will promote a culture of recycling and innovation with respect to waste streams. Help us break the cycle of causing unnecessary harm and damage in the name of "convenience". 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. 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. PLASTIC STRAWS CANT BE BROKEN DOWN BY NATURE. There are definitely differing opinions on whether or not plastic straws should be banned. Avoid plastic wrap altogether by storing leftovers in reusable containers. What never leaves, Read More Sustainable Diving & Snorkeling: How to Prevent Damage to Marine EcosystemsContinue, Top 3 Ways Kids can Help the Earth! Should Plastic Straws Be Banned? | Persuasive Writing | Scholastic These actions are a response to calls for change and shifting consumer habits. Once in the ocean, plastic pollution is extremely dangerous to marine life, and plastic straws are no exception. . Its because Asian and US coastlines release large amounts of plastic waste in the ocean [7]. Plastic straws shouldn't be banned - The Rubicon 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. 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]. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. This means that you need to first educate yourself about the problem. When animals ingest plastic, it clogs up their digestive systems, which can easily choke or kill animals like birds or sea turtles. By simply using less plastic, you can help keep marine life from eating and getting entangled in garbage. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Bags Should Be Banned | Greentumble Lizzie Carr is shining a light on what is floating through the worlds waterways, and breaking athletic records along the way. New York State and Hawaii just passed theirs, set to go into effect in 2020, and Californias bag ban, which was passed in 2014, has been shown to have reduced plastic bag usage by 85 percent (with some customers opting to pay a 10 cent fee for thicker plastic bags) and has reduced coastal pollution. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned - manufacturer, factory 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned - maktabyar.org Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. That is why the United Nations Environmental Programme Secretariat has recommended a ban on all plastic bags globally. The Pasig River is the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution in the world. 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. Dont re-wash something if you can wear it again. This strategy has been adopted by some countries and municipalities so far and has proven to greatly reduce plastic bag usage by consumers. 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. 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.). You as an individual have the power to make a gradual change in your community. Plastic bags are everywhere. Her Stand-Up Paddleboard Is a Platform for Campaigning Against Plastic Pollution, A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields. A last example of a true horror caused by plastic has been discovered just recently. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? You probably already saw the video, but if you didnt, you can watch it below (WARNING: Graphic Content): Supporters of plastic straw bans claim that the ban will help reduce our use of single-use plastics. Banning straws may confer 'moral license' allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. Coca-Cola makes an estimated 110 billion plastic bottles a year. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. No! 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. These pieces can be so small that they are invisible to our eye. Arguments Why Plastic Should Be Banned - Green Matters Plastic fragments in the ocean such as those from plastic bags can absorb pollutants like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) easily. 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. Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. Sadly, one of their newly acquired enemies is created by us who should protect them instead. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they can drink. For those governments that are opposed to full bans on plastic bags, another option is to institute a plastic bag tax, where consumers or retailers would pay a small fee for each plastic bag. 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. They are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials. 6461 garfield street hollywood, fl. But should plastic straws really be banned? Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. Some companies are taking initiative on their own. The cashier usually understands, only had to do what instructed and what most customers expect (unfortunately) from him or her. 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. As for reusable straws, they arent flexible as plastic ones and can be easily forgotten at home. 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. Your email address will not be published. Polypropylene is a form of plastic that is frequently used in the production of straws. 23 Reasons Why we should ban Plastic Bags | Environment Buddy Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping.