10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned

And the recent fracking boom, resulting in a surplus of oil, is fueling a subsequent rise in cracker plants, too. Car Modifications for Electric Vehicles: Whats Possible. Activists Say Straws Should Be Banned Because They Are a 'Gateway Plastic' Advocates hope a straw ban will be the first step toward broader plastic prohibitions. 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]. When you sip beverages through a straw you end up inhaling more air into your belly than you would otherwise. Straws don't provide as much utility as bags, so for many this is an easy adjustment. 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. 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. (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. What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? Have a look yourself to imagine the suffering of these animals. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they. PLASTIC STRAWS CANT BE BROKEN DOWN BY NATURE. Shuddering and unable to breathe, he vomited up five plastic bags. Without proper education, few people would know the purpose of the ban, and they would continue using other single-use plastics which could be even worse for the environment. As for reusable straws, they arent flexible as plastic ones and can be easily forgotten at home. Its also important to look at the bigger picture regarding plastic bans. This ban has led to an increase in the demand for sustainable plastic alternatives and has also created space for several plant-based materials in the market. 82 percent of the responding food service establishments were aware of the prohibition, and 69 percent of those establishments viewed the ban favorably. Plastic, in general, is one of the biggest pollutants in the world. A complete ban on plastic straws would harm disabled people, which definitely isnt the goal of such a ban. 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. 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. Why is plastic bad for the environment? The inaccuracy of this number calls into doubt the veracity of the overall case against using plastic straws as a drinking implement. Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good. A laboratory photograph of microplastics found in the Corsica River in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Maryland, An albatross found dead with a belly full of plastic on Midway Atoll. Considering what important source of food plankton is for many other species, it is clear that plastic gets distributed across the marine ecosystem. The majority of this pollutiondominated by single-use plastic wastecomes from countries lacking infrastructure to properly manage waste, particularly in Asia. According to a 2017 study, more than half of non-fiber plastic, which excludes synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, comes from plastic packaging alone, much of which is for single-use items. Low rated: 2. 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. 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. We use them to drink beverages at home and we get them at almost every restaurant. Accompanied by high social accountability and musical garbage trucks, that strategy has proved wildly effective: the island now reports recycling rates above 50 percent. Once a person gets into the habit of bringing reusable bags when shopping, it is not much of an inconvenience at all. Additionally, someone has to pay the cost of dealing with plastic bags in the waste stream. Plastic straws are everywhere we look. Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. 1. 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. 2023 Get Green Now. As plastic bags tend to get caught in recycling machinery, most recycling facilities do not have the capacity to recycle plastic bags and therefore do not accept them. Our waterway plastic pollution is particularly concentrated: Just ten rivers carry 93 percent of the worlds total amount of plastic that enters the oceans via rivers each year. How To Make A Bracelet Out Of Plastic String? And will a plastic straw ban actually be effective when it comes to saving our oceans and environment? Some companies are taking initiative on their own. Other states such as Hawaii, cities such as Seattle and New York, and corporations such as Amazon and Starbucks are also considering or have initiated plastic phase-out plans. 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. female pomeranian temperament; splinterlands terms and conditions; carbon emissions data by company; ( ) + . We all know what the debate is between plastic and paper straws but paper straws are horrible they will immediately break apart in your mouth and feel horrible. Most of it is either dumped in landfills or ends up in the ocean. 2015-2023 Greentumble. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. Even if plastic doesnt end up in the ocean, recycled plastic is often exported from high-income countries to developing countries to process. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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]. Let us know if you liked this article. 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. 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. If you are a kid reading this, and you want to get green and help the Earth, you are at the right place. But single-use plastics come with a steep environmental priceone that well be paying off for millennia. 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. Some opposers of the plastic straw ban say that a ban is unlikely to actually help the environment, as plastic straws do not make up a large percentage of plastic in the ocean. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they can drink. There are definitely differing opinions on whether or not plastic straws should be banned. According to market research firms, Americans use about 350 million plastic straws every single day. Also, giving a speech in . That's a whole 900 tons of plastic waste produced every day, and that's just for plastic straws! 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. Starbucks plans to phase out plastic straws by 2020. 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). 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. In New York, 23 billion plastic bags are used by residents each year. What about you? Not easy to recycle 7. We add another 8 million tons each year thats about five grocery bags full of plastic waste on every foot of shoreline around the world, according to a recent study. 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. Reduce Aesthetic value of your neighborhood. America Needs a Plastics Intervention. Globally, 8 to 10 percent of our current oil supply goes to a plastic bag manufacture [4]. LEAPE:Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of the problem less than 1 percent. Even when you dont see it, these indestructible particles are everywhere around us, including in the food chain. The second, more fundamental imperative is to get plastics out of our waste stream. Criddle and Leape are also senior fellows at theStanford Woods Institute for the Environment. What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers? It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. Many people with disabilities rely on flexible straws to drink safely and independently. 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. 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. And when it comes to waste that lasts forever, every ton counts. In fact, plastic straws only make up around 0.03 percent of total plastic waste by mass. O This requires the usage of 500 million straws, Straws and other items made of plastic are harmful, Every day in the United States. Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. Communities and consumers can play vital roles in sparking action. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. It means that most bags can be recycled. 1. plastic straws litter our environment Every day, about 3-6 billion plastic straws are produced. NRDC scientist Jennifer Sass says yes and debunks the skeptics claim that in trying to wean ourselves off plastic bags, were only creating more troubles. Read more about us. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. Companies are forced to innovate, rethinking their designs and sourcing sustainable materials. Manufacturers began replacing traditionally paper or glass staples with lighter or more durable and affordable plastic alternatives; plastic jugs replaced milk jars, for instance. Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect absorption of some important trace elements (like iron) which we need for maintaining proper health [13]. Most plastic straws are made from harsh chemicals making them impossible to reuse or recycle. All you need to do is paste your ZIP code and then see the list of stores with bag drop-off in your nearest location. 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. Banning straws may confer 'moral license' allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. Rating: 5 (913 reviews) Highest rating: 5. edinburgh airport address. Her Stand-Up Paddleboard Is a Platform for Campaigning Against Plastic Pollution, A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. McDonald's recently announced . At the beginning of July 2018, Seattle became the largest U.S. city to ban 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. Divers, for example, descend 130 feet under the water, seek unique-looking creatures, and observe the marine world in all its glory. Increased awareness about the negative effects of single-use plastics would help the environment a lot more than just a simple plastic straw ban. Left alone, plastics dont really break down; they just break up. Large producers of single-use plastics can make a big environmental impact. Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. Without further due, here are the top 3 ways kids can help, Read More 3 Ways Kids can Help the EarthContinue, What Are Microplastics? These tiny plastic particles have been found in our oceans, soil, and even in the air. Come with external costs 9. It is estimated that there are now 150 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean. 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. So, retailers incorporate this cost hiddenly into prices of other items sold at stores. Killing wildlife 5. The crucial challenge is to ensure that these bans are just a first step, offering a natural place to start with low-hanging fruit so long as its part of a much more fundamental shift away from single-use plastics across the value chains of these companies and our economy. 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. 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. It topped 60 million tons (54.4 million metric tons) in 2010 based on a September 2018 report titled "Plastic Pollution."But China announced it plans to outlaw the production and sale of . These costs include the true environmental costs of resource extraction and depletion, the loss of quality of life, economic loss from littering, and wildlife loss. 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. Your email address will not be published. . In Ireland, where this fee was instituted in 2002, plastic bag usage decreased by about 90 percent. Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. 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. In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11]. We all are just trying to do our job well. Getting rid of a single plastic straw may not have a very large effect on the environment. We need to make fully biodegradable polymers that are cost-competitive. 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. The decrease in demand for plastic bags forces manufacturers to reduce their production and consider expanding in a supply of alternative products. JIM LEAPE: Our oceans are currently swimming with plastics. Plastic items are more sanitary than other alternatives. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. You need to know what effects plastic bags have on the environment and health. Animals can also easily become entangled in this plastic waste. Another example of a locally issued ban is Seattle where not only single-use plastic bags have been banned but also single-use compostable and biodegradable bags. Because of this, the plants and wildlife in the area have a potential risk of absorbing the microplastics through their diets and drinking water. 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. State Disclosures. This means that you need to first educate yourself about the problem. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection 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. keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. This could negatively reflect on their income. NRDCs Eric Goldstein gives the scoop on the latest environmental villain and explains why plastic straws really are a big menace to our oceans. 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. Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. Straws made of plastic contribute to the pollution of our seas and streams. Facebook; Contact Now . Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in the mid-19th century, it wasnt until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed. Tushy Ace Review (After 3 Months): Is this Luxury Bidet Worth it? This strategy has been adopted by some countries and municipalities so far and has proven to greatly reduce plastic bag usage by consumers. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. Then, the straw got stuck in the turtles nose after she/he tried to cough the straw back out. Even if you can't go zero waste entirely, it's high time we all ended our reliance on single use plastics. We will A last example of a true horror caused by plastic has been discovered just recently. To make matters worse, if plastic straws get into the ocean, they can be mistaken for food by marine animals. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Buying a product through my link comes at no extra cost to you, and I only recommend products that I believe in. This includes grocery plastic bags, Ziplock-type bags, dry cleaning bags and bread bags. India, for example, generates 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day but collects only 60 percent of it. Once in the ocean, plastic pollution is extremely dangerous to marine life, and plastic straws are no exception. Paper straws cost on average around 2.5 cents ($0.025), whereas plastic straws cost only half a cent ($0.005). | | 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. 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. The small pilot whale, found in a Thai canal this past June, is another symptom of a crisis in the worlds oceans. Forty years after the launch of the first universal recycling symbol, only 14 percent of plastic packaging is recycled. But, getting rid of all single-use plastics definitely will. Help us break the cycle of causing unnecessary harm and damage in the name of "convenience". We've all become too hooked on the availability and comfort of the stuff. Help raise awareness of fellow consumers that means everyone when you think about it (unless they dont shopever). They discovered that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestl products were found most often. Another indirect danger of plastic bags has breeding ground in the pollution they create. So, plastic bag recycling facilities are few and far between and transportation to one could be expensive. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. 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. Thus, plastic straws cant be recycled. 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. 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. 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. You can be sure of one thing, though. All Rights Reserved. These modern conveniences are so ubiquitousand so quickly thrown outthat they hardly register in our minds. Single-use plastics are a glaring example of the problems with throwaway culture. The upshot of the Sydney study is that the California bag ban reduced plastic bag consumption by 71.5% - a huge decrease. If you are constantly feeling gassy, then you should definitely consider drinking beverages the old fashioned way. 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. 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. Plastic is not the largest contributor of pollution and the . 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. 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. If there is one piece of advice that everyone should remember, it would be that nothing is for free in this world. Do you wonder why? 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]. To date, around 60 countries and municipalities around the world have instituted plastic bag bans, and additional seven countries are planning to enforce the law in the closest future. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. Prior the ban, 70 percent of livestock losses were attributed to plastic bag ingestion. Plastic bags are often mistaken for food by animals, birds, and marine life. Quick Navigation for Reasons Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Banned REASONS 1. Ask if they have nonplastic alternatives to plastic straws, stirrers, or bags. We dont know how it will in the long term affect plankton-feeding species and their predators. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and What do the bans accomplish? When animals ingest plastic, it clogs up their digestive systems, which can easily choke or kill animals like birds or sea turtles. Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. LEAPE:There are two clear imperatives. In countries with a lack of awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags, a polite refusal might not be met with much understanding. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. But beyond these impacts, the bans have cultural effects. 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. Plastic bags. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, By simply using less plastic, you can help keep marine life from eating and getting entangled in garbage. Marine animals bear the burden of this influx of garbage into their habitats. And Starbucks, which uses an estimated one billion plastic straws per year, is phasing them out in favor of paper ones. Here are 3 reasons why plastic straws should not be banned, explained in a simple and easy-to-understand manner: 1. According to the researchers, the turtle likely mistook the straw for food and swallowed it. Es gratis registrarse y presentar tus propuestas laborales. 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. 2. On average, taxpayers end up paying about $88 per year just on plastic bag waste [15]. 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. 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. Required fields are marked *. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. 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. Theyve even made their way up to the secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Learn how your comment data is processed. Even human footprints left in the sand represent mountain-like obstacles in their path and waves washing up on the beach are another challenge, as they thrust them back on the dry land to try once again before finally being picked up by a return current and start swimming for their life. 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. How can you help to ban plastic bags in your area? CRIDDLE:Cost is a huge issue. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. The problem with plastic straws is that they are one of the biggest causes of unnecessary plastic pollution. They are tinier than a palm of your hand and appear so fragile when struggling across the beach to make it to the sea. 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. The country instituted the ban in 2013 to minimize livestock deaths. Fortunately, microorganisms can also use cheap, renewable substrates, such as food wastes, biogas methane, carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen. 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.

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