Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? Left alone, plastics dont really break down; they just break up. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. (Photo credit: Shutterstock). Some experts estimate that more than 1 million sea animals are killed each year by straws and other types of plastic trash. In fact, I just listed many reasons and points in this article that support both sides of the argument. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. Or you may need to accept that plastic bag this time and then start campaigning for a plastic bag ban in your area . Plastic straws are also the 6th most common trash item found during ocean cleanups. The explanation is quite simple. Heres everything you need to know about the most ubiquitous (and avoidable) kind of plastic waste: the kind made to be tossed in mere minutes. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. It is good for our environment, health and global climate. But single-use plastics come with a steep environmental priceone that well be paying off for millennia. 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. Have you ever seen endangered sea turtles hatch? Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. 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. Plastic bag bansideally accompanied by a fee on paper bagsare also catching on. 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. Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. Also, giving a speech in . It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. Well, lets have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now. 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. Instead of searching for another buyer, maybe some soul-searching is in order. So, plastic bag recycling facilities are few and far between and transportation to one could be expensive. Activists Say Straws Should Be Banned Because They Are a 'Gateway Plastic' On average, plastic bags cost retailers about 3-5 cents each. 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. Ill also go over whether or not plastic straw bans will actually help the environment, and explain everything else youll need to know. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. This way, disabled people can continue to be served, while also reducing the number of plastic straws that we use. 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. What can I do for you? Your email address will not be published. How Plastic Bottles Become Death Traps for Hermit Crabs. [PDF] Skip The Straw - 10 Reasons Fact Sheet - Kids. They contribute to the contamination of our landfills and seas when they are discarded after use. High costs for cleanup 8. and reefs composed of coral, F) I Plastic straws are one of the top five most often used items. For many in the disabled community, the availability of plastic straws is essential for their well-being and survival. Better alternatives are available 10. 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]. This amount of marine life, which includes fish and turtles, is sufficient to fill 125 school buses. This is due to the fact that the plastic tubes are far too lightweight to be recycled in an efficient manner. 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. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. We should also try to give up plastic straws if we are capable of doing so. Some companies are taking initiative on their own. Then, they have a propensity to break down into microplastics, which then clutter the ecosystems in question. 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. 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. 13.07.2022 Harry Brown THE TOP 10 REASONS TO DO NOT USE THE STRAW O This requires the usage of 500 million straws Straws and other items made of plastic are harmful Every day in the United States. If you are a kid reading this, and you want to get green and help the Earth, you are at the right place. If you are constantly feeling gassy, then you should definitely consider drinking beverages the old fashioned way. In this essay on should plastic be banned, it is very important to put forth the fact that there are many bodies of health and environmental governance around the world who argue that plastic ban can be problematic stating the following reasons-. Help raise awareness of fellow consumers that means everyone when you think about it (unless they dont shopever). Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in the mid-19th century, it wasnt until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed. They are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials. 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. All rights reserved. Companies are trying to sell communities on a toxic solution to the plastic pollution crisis. The production of these bags is very energy intensive. 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. 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. Reasons why smoking should be banned articlestrabajos Plastic bags are everywhere. Hi, Im Hugh, and my mission with Get Green Now is to raise awareness of environmental issues and teach people how to live sustainably. The small pilot whale, found in a Thai canal this past June, is another symptom of a crisis in the worlds oceans. 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. Starbucks plans to phase out plastic straws by 2020. The crisis is so serious that many people are saying that plastic straws should be outlawed. Summary: Reduce your use of single-use plastics. Avoid individually packaged goods, like snack packs. Start from yourself and slowly expand to your family and friends. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned - manufacturer, factory Read more about us. So that free plastic bag isnt so free after all. The Pasig River in the Philippines is another scary example of the negative effects of plastic bags on the environment. Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned. Once a person gets into the habit of bringing reusable bags when shopping, it is not much of an inconvenience at all. 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. We are working hard to improve our content. The cashier usually understands, only had to do what instructed and what most customers expect (unfortunately) from him or her. There are definitely differing opinions on whether or not plastic straws should be banned. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. 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. India, for example, generates 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day but collects only 60 percent of it. This includes waste collection, regular cleanups to remove plastic bag litter along the roads or blown away from landfills and then even processing at landfill sites. Rating: 5 (913 reviews) Highest rating: 5. Individual choicesand the collective shifts they bring aboutadd up quickly. 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. Ban of Plastic Can be Problematic. If the environmental movement drew up a Most Unwanted list for 2018, the plastic drinking straw surely would land Car Modifications for Electric Vehicles: Whats Possible. 1. NRDCs Eric Goldstein gives the scoop on the latest environmental villain and explains why plastic straws really are a big menace to our oceans. Ideally, to be suitable for recycling, bags need to be clean to be accepted, which is often a problem, considering that we use them to carry groceries and potentially leaky goods. And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. Overall, the main reason for a plastic straw ban is to help the environment by preventing plastic straws pollution. LEAPE:There are two clear imperatives. Among the U.S. cities to outlaw plastic straws are Malibu, Berkeley, Seattle, and Miami Beach. At the beginning of July 2018, Seattle became the largest U.S. city to ban plastic straws. How To Make A Bracelet Out Of Plastic String? 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.
Seeking Sister Wife Jennifer Pregnancy, Idoceo Equivalent For Windows, Forest Lake Club Lakeside Grill Menu, Articles OTHER