Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. 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. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. Among the U.S. cities to outlaw plastic straws are Malibu, Berkeley, Seattle, and Miami Beach. Fortunately, microorganisms can also use cheap, renewable substrates, such as food wastes, biogas methane, carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen. China doesnt want our plastic waste anymore. An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. 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. 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.). More and more states are looking to pass a new kind of recycling law that asks manufacturers to foot the bill for the waste created by their products. Paper straws are horrible and should be taken out of circulation The bottom line of any plastic ban is that we must use less single-use plastics overall. Large producers of single-use plastics can make a big environmental impact. There are definitely differing opinions on whether or not plastic straws should be banned. Post date: 18 yesterday. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. Communities with good awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags have been more successful at enforcing the ban [20]. The most common are inorganic dyes that are added to change the color of 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. However, in 2014, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) supported the first project to calculate the real cost of plastic, including adverse environmental impacts of its production, use and disposal. Sugar and oils are too expensive. LEAPE:Microplastics pervade the oceans. High costs for cleanup 8. Each day, the United States of America uses 500 million drinking straws. In Germany alone, we use 40 billion plastic straws every year. 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. Starbucks plans to phase out plastic straws by 2020. What can I do for you? Problematic degradation 4. Cause of environmental pollution 2. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment? Harmful to human health 6. Using a straw directs a concentrated stream of liquid onto a localized area of the teeth, which can cause the enamel to wear away and lead to dental disease. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. America Needs a Plastics Intervention. According to the researchers, the turtle likely mistook the straw for food and swallowed it. What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? TOP 10 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned BEST and NEWEST But the sheer amount of plastic waste inundates communities until they are drowning under thousands of tons of plastic trash. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. 2. Ill also go over whether or not plastic straw bans will actually help the environment, and explain everything else youll need to know. Hi, Im Hugh, and my mission with Get Green Now is to raise awareness of environmental issues and teach people how to live sustainably. If the environmental movement drew up a Most Unwanted list for 2018, the plastic drinking straw surely would land Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. Straws don't provide as much utility as bags, so for many this is an easy adjustment. Without further due, here are the top 3 ways kids can help, Read More 3 Ways Kids can Help the EarthContinue, What Are Microplastics? If environmental zealots and sycophants get their way, you won't be allowed to sip it through a plastic straw. We should just stick to plastic. If this happens, there are a few scenarios you can follow: The best thing you can do with those old plastic bags that have been stashed in that overflowing drawer in your kitchen is to recycle them. Do you also have that overflowing kitchen drawer full of plastic bags you bring from your shopping trips? 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. 15. It was first invented in 1907 by Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. There are numerous reasons why PLA straws are not the right substitute for plastic straws . Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links on this site may be referral or affiliate links. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they. 2. These tiny plastic particles have been found in our oceans, soil, and even in the air. Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. Killing wildlife 5. This type of plastic is derived from petroleum. 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. A wave of single-use plastic bans is sweeping the country and the globemost often on plastic bags, straws, stirrers, and takeout clamshells. Such is the case with many environmental crises: the worst effects are pushed onto overburdened communities with the fewest resources to fight back. . Therefore, a plastic straw ban by itself is unlikely to be very effective in actually helping the environment, although it could act as a gateway into the reduction of other single-use plastics. As plastic bags are not disposed properly . But these cases make up a small fraction of single-use plastic. According to market research firms, Americans use about 350 million plastic straws every single day. Accompanied by high social accountability and musical garbage trucks, that strategy has proved wildly effective: the island now reports recycling rates above 50 percent. Making just one simple swap, like purchasing a reusable water bottle, can spare the environment hundreds of plastic bottles each year. Or you may need to accept that plastic bag this time and then start campaigning for a plastic bag ban in your area . Help raise awareness of fellow consumers that means everyone when you think about it (unless they dont shopever). The trend has already started. Manufacturers began replacing traditionally paper or glass staples with lighter or more durable and affordable plastic alternatives; plastic jugs replaced milk jars, for instance. Once the wheel starts spinning, it leads to even more positive changes. The consumed plastic congests the digestive tracts of these animals, and can lead to health issues such as infections, painful intestinal blockage, starvation or death by suffocation. 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. On average, plastic bags cost retailers about 3-5 cents each. 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. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. Our addiction to plastic also has negative impacts on the climate. 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. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy 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]. The decrease in demand for plastic bags forces manufacturers to reduce their production and consider expanding in a supply of alternative products. 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. We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics have been produced, and half of that in the past 15 years alone. Reduce Aesthetic value of your neighborhood. Starbucks recently announced that it would phase out use of plastic straws by the year 2020. It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. 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. And recent studies found plastic in the guts of 90 percent of the seabirds tested and 100 percent of the turtles. Thats nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. The Last Straw: 5 Reasons You Should Ditch Plastic Straws We are a couple of environmentalists who seek inspiration for life in simple values based on our love for nature. In effect, nature has designed this plastic for disassembly. Required fields are marked *. Quick Navigation for Reasons Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Banned REASONS 1. As a result, the ban will reduce the number of plastic straws polluting the ocean. 2023 Get Green Now. They store these polymers inside their cells as tiny granules. It is estimated that there are now 150 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean. But this comes along with many unanswered questions. 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]. 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. Es gratis registrarse y presentar tus propuestas laborales. 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. You can share this article on social media by using the share buttons below. Why Should Plastic Straws Be Banned? - Nationwide Plastics When animals ingest plastic, it clogs up their digestive systems, which can easily choke or kill animals like birds or sea turtles. As a result, they are thrown away and frequently wind up in the ocean, where they pollute the water and eventually kill marine birds, animals, and fish. Plastic bag bansideally accompanied by a fee on paper bagsare also catching on. Stanford Reportspoke withJim Leape, co-director of theStanford Center for Ocean Solutions, andCraig Criddle, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, about the path to reducing ocean plastic pollution. 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. The production of these bags is very energy intensive. The second, more fundamental imperative is to get plastics out of our waste stream. Her Stand-Up Paddleboard Is a Platform for Campaigning Against Plastic Pollution, A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields. Then, the straw got stuck in the turtles nose after she/he tried to cough the straw back out. Once a person gets into the habit of bringing reusable bags when shopping, it is not much of an inconvenience at all. 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. Plastic straws shouldn't be banned - The Rubicon Straws are said to be one of the top 10 objects recovered during beach clean-ups by the Ocean Conservancy. We need to make fully biodegradable polymers that are cost-competitive. Unfortunately, such costs are typically not included in most economic analyses, as they are not easy to calculate because the equation would have to involve many indirect variables. How Plastic Bottles Become Death Traps for Hermit Crabs. Criddle has evaluated use of microorganisms to biodegrade plastic materials and to synthesize biodegradable bioplastics from waste feedstocks. All rights reserved. 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]. 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. You as an individual have the power to make a gradual change in your community. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. that do collect plastic bags and other plastic films and send them for proper recycling. Already in 2001, researchers found that the mass of microscopic plastic fragments in the North Pacific Central Gyre was 6 times higher than of plankton. 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. Why we shouldn't ban plastic straws Antithesis Journal Scientists are showing that we are sending tons of tiny plastic particles into our soils each year, potentially affecting crops and our health. Stanford experts discuss the limitations of these bans and the potential for meaningful change. The upshot of the Sydney study is that the California bag ban reduced plastic bag consumption by 71.5% - a huge decrease. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in. So, retailers incorporate this cost hiddenly into prices of other items sold at stores. We all are just trying to do our job well. They're not alone. Why? Plastic bags have become such a nuisance because we as consumers use them excessively even when not needed and authorities havent figured out effective ways of dealing with them as waste. Shuddering and unable to breathe, he vomited up five plastic bags. She can remember all of her vehicles the Pontiac 6000, her familys car that was passed on to her when she went to college; the Volkswagen Rabbit, and later Fox, that took her through young adulthood; the Honda Civics,, Read More Car Recycling: Everything You Need to Know (With Statistics)Continue, Whether youre a scuba diver, snorkeler, or amateur swimmer, the ocean is a playground where you come to explore the beauty of nature and the difference from your regular lifes environment. Search for jobs related to Reasons why smoking should be banned articles or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. CRIDDLE:Cost is a huge issue. 12 Compelling Reasons For Banning Plastic Bags [2023 Update] - MindsetEco So, plastic bag recycling facilities are few and far between and transportation to one could be expensive. 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. But a whopping 91 percent of all plastic isnt recycled at all. 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. These pieces can be so small that they are invisible to our eye. 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. Such changes could have outsized benefits for vulnerable populations that rely on rivers for their water supply. They prevent millions of tons of plastic from entering the waste stream each year. These modern conveniences are so ubiquitousand so quickly thrown outthat they hardly register in our minds. Buy in bulk. Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. We've all become too hooked on the availability and comfort of the stuff. Tweet, call, or send letters to these companies to ask them to switch to more durable, recyclable, compostable, renewable, and/or recycled-content packaging with less fossil fuelderived plastic. Criddle isdirector of StanfordsCodiga Resource Recovery Center,a member ofStanford Bio-Xand an affiliate of thePrecourt Institute for Energy. Straws made of paper are neither recyclable nor capable of decomposition. Although single-use plastic pollution accumulates most visibly on our streets, in fact our water suffers even more. There are some great initiatives that strive to provide jobs for women in rural communities with limited possibilities of securing monthly income. Even if you can't go zero waste entirely, it's high time we all ended our reliance on single use plastics. Also, giving a speech in . There were numerous cases of birds caught in plastic bags, unable to fly and feed, eventually strangling themselves to death.
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