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]. Please share this message with your friends so that together, we can tackle our global plastic problem. 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. Problematic degradation 4. 4. Simply, refuse them when offered and bring your own reusable bag when shopping. 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.). 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. 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. Plastic straws are also the 6th most common trash item found during ocean cleanups. What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers? They are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials. Ask if they have nonplastic alternatives to plastic straws, stirrers, or bags. 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]. For most, straws are not a necessity, but a convenience. Rating: 5 (913 reviews) Highest rating: 5. 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. You can be sure of one thing, though. Companies are trying to sell communities on a toxic solution to the plastic pollution crisis. On average, taxpayers end up paying about $88 per year just on plastic bag waste [15]. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. Another indirect danger of plastic bags has breeding ground in the pollution they create. At the beginning of July 2018, Seattle became the largest U.S. city to ban plastic straws. Consumer outrage about the plastics crisis is already commanding attention from big companies and from many governments. This could negatively reflect on their income. and reefs composed of coral, F) I Plastic straws are one of the top five most often used items. However, as an environmental enthusiast, heres what I think about this ban. Divers, for example, descend 130 feet under the water, seek unique-looking creatures, and observe the marine world in all its glory. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. Because of this, the plants and wildlife in the area have a potential risk of absorbing the microplastics through their diets and drinking water. 1. Author: floridadep.gov. 300 to 700 plastic bags pass through the hands of an average American in just one year [8] and a survey of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs concluded that the average household in the United Kingdom stores around 40 plastic shopping bags at home [2]. After all, ask your grandparents, they will remember that during their time people were used to go shopping with their own bags or baskets. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. 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. Among the U.S. cities to outlaw plastic straws are Malibu, Berkeley, Seattle, and Miami Beach. (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. 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. Each day, the United States of America uses 500 million drinking straws. Thats a promising start. Juan Cristobal Cobo/Bloomberg via Getty Images. Starbucks recently announced that it would phase out use of plastic straws by the year 2020. We are a couple of environmentalists who seek inspiration for life in simple values based on our love for nature. Starting in the 1960s, plastic straw manufacturing took off. Yeah I end up going through like 5 paper straws because they keep disintegrating and I can't drink my drink anymore. 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. 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. The small pilot whale, found in a Thai canal this past June, is another symptom of a crisis in the worlds oceans. 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. It was first invented in 1907 by Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland. 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. 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. 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. These actions are a response to calls for change and shifting consumer habits. Disney is eliminating single-use plastic straws and stirrers at all its theme parks, resorts and properties. An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. 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]. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Theyve even made their way up to the secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Tiny plastic particles have been found in human feces. Plastic straws are everywhere we look. Plastic bags and plastic products overall contain substances that are harmful to our health. 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. 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. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. 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. To make matters worse, if plastic straws get into the ocean, they can be mistaken for food by marine animals. In countries with a lack of awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags, a polite refusal might not be met with much understanding. 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. Plastic, in general, is one of the biggest pollutants in the world. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. 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. 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. 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. Come with external costs 9. Paper straws cost on average around 2.5 cents ($0.025), whereas plastic straws cost only half a cent ($0.005). According to market research firms, Americans use about 350 million plastic straws every single day. Once a person gets into the habit of bringing reusable bags when shopping, it is not much of an inconvenience at all. In fact, plastic straws only make up around 0.03 percent of total plastic waste by mass. Tushy Ace Review (After 3 Months): Is this Luxury Bidet Worth it? (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. National Geographic made a video on how helpless it feels to be caught in a plastic bag. Most retailers will get your point, but it can also happen that they will not be willing to sell you some products without placing it in their plastic bags because of having to oblige with some hygiene and sanitary standards (for example when selling meat products). As it turns out, many microorganisms make moldable bioplastic polymers that are fully degradable. update email soon. But you should also consider the other perspective what effect single-use bags have had on the local economy and product affordability. keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. Plastic bag bansideally accompanied by a fee on paper bagsare also catching on. female pomeranian temperament; splinterlands terms and conditions; carbon emissions data by company; ( ) + . Why? Stanford experts discuss the limitations of these bans and the potential for meaningful change. Our plastic addiction is having a devastating impact on our oceans, our wildlife, and our health. 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. That's a whole 900 tons of plastic waste produced every day, and that's just for plastic straws! 2. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, Well, lets have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now. | | 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. Many of you may have heard it already. Plastics also permeate freshwater systems like rivers and streams. Thoughtful laws are needed to control the problem and at the same time encourage innovation. If environmental zealots and sycophants get their way, you won't be allowed to sip it through a plastic straw. Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good. Required fields are marked *. Theyre in about a quarter of the seafood in our markets, and even in table salt. Such is the case with many environmental crises: the worst effects are pushed onto overburdened communities with the fewest resources to fight back. 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. Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. You should examine what alternatives are available and whether local retailers, who often operate with a limited monthly budget, have the ability to make the switch. 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. We use them to drink beverages at home and we get them at almost every restaurant. Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. Cook more often, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers. Our reliance on these plastics means we are accumulating waste at a staggering rate. How can you help to ban plastic bags in your area? Plastic utensils are convenient and straws are fun for kids, but much of that plastic eventually winds up in a landfill or as litter. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. Most drop-off collection points accept plastic bags made from high-density polyethylene (plastic number 2) and low-density polyethylene (plastic number 4). Lizzie Carr is shining a light on what is floating through the worlds waterways, and breaking athletic records along the way. Its Plastic Incineration. But single-use plastics come with a steep environmental priceone that well be paying off for millennia. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. Straws made of paper are neither recyclable nor capable of decomposition. Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. The first answer to this question that comes to everyones mind is to stop using plastic bags, right? Why is plastic bad for the environment? 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. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. Instead of investing in quality goods that will last, we often prioritize convenience over durability and consideration of long-term impacts. 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. 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. 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. Reduce Aesthetic value of your neighborhood. 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. While an extra two cents may not seem like a lot, it could make a difference for some businesses that depend on plastic straws. 82 percent of the responding food service establishments were aware of the prohibition, and 69 percent of those establishments viewed the ban favorably. A calf had to be put down because of indigestion caused by 8 plastic bags in its stomach. They discovered that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestl products were found most often. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection We should also try to give up plastic straws if we are capable of doing so. 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]. Plastic bag litter has even caused great problems in some areas. We dont know how it will in the long term affect plankton-feeding species and their predators. Many people with disabilities rely on flexible straws to drink safely and independently. As plastic bags are not disposed properly . Straws don't provide as much utility as bags, so for many this is an easy adjustment. Martin Grimm/Picture-alliance via Associated Press. Summary: Reduce your use of single-use plastics. It has been projected that, if current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish. And cracker plantswhich break, or crack, ethane molecules, a component of natural gas, into the chemical building blocks of plastic productsare energy intensive and highly polluting. Plastic straws, being so lightweight and non-biodegradable, are readily carried into the water, where they eventually break down into smaller and smaller pieces of microplastic. Communities and consumers can play vital roles in sparking action. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? 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. And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. Not only does banning single-use plastic reduce pollution, but it also reduces demand for plastic production thats contributing to global climate change.
