8 good reasons to give up plastic straws - CareElite The crisis is so serious that many people are saying that plastic straws should be outlawed. It started with cardboard straws, but once plastic production in America increased, people realized it was quicker and cheaper to produce plastic straws. Well, lets have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now. In effect, nature has designed this plastic for disassembly. But these cases make up a small fraction of single-use plastic. Such changes could have outsized benefits for vulnerable populations that rely on rivers for their water supply. 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. 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. 2023 Get Green Now. An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. 23 Reasons Why we should ban Plastic Bags | Environment Buddy 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. If the environmental movement drew up a Most Unwanted list for 2018, the plastic drinking straw surely would land Each day, the United States of America uses 500 million drinking straws. But only a few of us realize that each time we accept those disposable plastic grocery bags at store checkout, we actively participate in wasting energy and depleting non-renewable resources. In fact, plastic straws only make up around 0.03 percent of total plastic waste by mass. Prior the ban, 70 percent of livestock losses were attributed to plastic bag ingestion. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned According to a study carried out in 2013, up to 35 percent of turtle deaths were caused by plastic ingestion and the probability that sea turtles will consume even more plastic increases every year [9]. Leape has long been a leader in ocean conservation efforts. Tushy Ace Review (After 3 Months): Is this Luxury Bidet Worth it? Ms. LISA PAI . Some companies are taking initiative on their own. What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good. You need to know what effects plastic bags have on the environment and health. Once the wheel starts spinning, it leads to even more positive changes. Oene Moedt-Foto Natura/Minden via National Geographic Images, Major Corporations and Single-Use Plastics, secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and research has suggested that human exposure, 4.8 million and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic, one of the most greenhouse gasintensive industries in the manufacturing sector, could reach 1.34 gigatons per year by 2030, an audit of plastic pollution along coastlines. Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. In early January 2020, China joined the growing movement of more than 120 countries pledging to ban single-use plastics.The country of 1.4 billion citizens is the No. 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. InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. (Its also important to remember that waste management is just one part of the global materials cycle. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. If plastic straws are completely banned, local small businesses like boba tea shops will have to look for pricier alternatives. This type of plastic is derived from petroleum. 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. This could negatively reflect on their income. 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 store these polymers inside their cells as tiny granules. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. 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. In fact, I just listed many reasons and points in this article that support both sides of the argument. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they. This amount of marine life, which includes fish and turtles, is sufficient to fill 125 school buses. Theyve even made their way up to the secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. 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. 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. For example, some disabled people may not be able to properly hold or pick up a cup, so they need to use straws to drink properly. On average, plastic bags cost retailers about 3-5 cents each. 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. Paper straws cannot be recycled in any way. 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. 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. Single use plastics wreak havoc on wildlife and the earth. Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. 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 Do you wonder why? Consumer outrage about the plastics crisis is already commanding attention from big companies and from many governments. Although, really, these tips can be used by anyone, not just kids. 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. What about you? NDLA National Disability Leadership Alliance: Nothing About Us Without Us. Oil and natural gas are non-renewable fossil fuel-based resources and through their extraction and production, they emit greenhouse gases, which contribute to global climate change. Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. 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. edinburgh airport address. Read more about us. These microscopic plastic fragments, no more than 5 millimeters long, are hard to detectand are just about everywhere. But the sheer amount of plastic waste inundates communities until they are drowning under thousands of tons of plastic trash. The inaccuracy of this number calls into doubt the veracity of the overall case against using plastic straws as a drinking implement. By 2030, CEO James Quincey has pledged to use 50 percent recycled material in its bottles and cans and recycle one bottle or can. Hi, Im Hugh, and my mission with Get Green Now is to raise awareness of environmental issues and teach people how to live sustainably. 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. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. The trend has already started. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems facing our world today. (Everything You Need To Know)Continue, Many restaurants have banned plastic straws due to their harmful effects on the environment, and have switched to paper alternatives instead. 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]. 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. According to the findings of a study that was carried out in 2019 by students at the University of Washington, 78 percent of respondents used straws made of biodegradable materials that are in compliance with the prohibition, and 68 percent used utensils that are in compliance with the ban. What does occur in most instances is that when out in the environment, the plastic breaks up into tiny microscopic pieces that get deposited in soils (where we grow food) or contaminate waterways. Gas, bloating, and intestinal discomfort. Overall, the main reason for a plastic straw ban is to help the environment by preventing plastic straws pollution. 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. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Bags Should Be Banned | Greentumble You can share this article on social media by using the share buttons below. . 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. And Starbucks, which uses an estimated one billion plastic straws per year, is phasing them out in favor of paper ones. And the recent fracking boom, resulting in a surplus of oil, is fueling a subsequent rise in cracker plants, too. Plastic is not the largest contributor of pollution and the . 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. 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. To make matters worse, if plastic straws get into the ocean, they can be mistaken for food by marine animals. Globally, 8 to 10 percent of our current oil supply goes to a plastic bag manufacture [4]. Should Plastic be Banned Essay for Students in English - VEDANTU 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. American beaver populations are booming in the western United States as conditions grow hotter and drier. CRIDDLE:Cost is a huge issue. The production of these bags is very energy intensive. Plastic bags are everywhere. The people of Macon, Georgia, saw through it. Most of it is either dumped in landfills or ends up in the ocean. About half the cost of making biodegradable polymers is the cost of feedstock. We are a couple of environmentalists who seek inspiration for life in simple values based on our love for nature. They are also capable of being ingested by fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, which in turn causes the animals injury and, in the case of fish, allows them to enter the human food chain. 12 Compelling Reasons For Banning Plastic Bags [2023 Update] - MindsetEco A straw with our iced coffee, a plastic bag to carry our takeout, a wrapper on a candy bar: taken individually, each seems harmless. There are definitely differing opinions on whether or not plastic straws should be banned. These actions are a response to calls for change and shifting consumer habits. Refineries where crude oil is turned into plastic make up one of the most greenhouse gasintensive industries in the manufacturing sector. Even when you dont see it, these indestructible particles are everywhere around us, including in the food chain. What is the root of the problem (consumers or municipal waste management)? Manufacturers began replacing traditionally paper or glass staples with lighter or more durable and affordable plastic alternatives; plastic jugs replaced milk jars, for instance. 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. We should just stick to plastic. Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. 2. 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. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in the mid-19th century, it wasnt until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed. Large producers of single-use plastics can make a big environmental impact. Communities and consumers can play vital roles in sparking action. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. and reefs composed of coral, F) I Plastic straws are one of the top five most often used items. 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. The explanation is quite simple. keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. How? Have you ever seen endangered sea turtles hatch? Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. So, for example, companies need to not only make products that are recyclable, but actually make them out of recycled or truly biodegradable material. 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].
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