They're bad for the environment, kill marine life and damage human health. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, So, retailers incorporate this cost hiddenly into prices of other items sold at stores. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. Tiny plastic particles have been found in human feces. 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. It has been projected that, if current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish. Plastic pollutionwhether in our oceans, piling up on our coastlines, or contributing to our climate crisisimpacts vulnerable communities first. 15. Better alternatives are available 10. The ban also kept them from littering neighborhoods and the environment. These pieces can be so small that they are invisible to our eye. 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. 2. Low rated: 2. Individual choicesand the collective shifts they bring aboutadd up quickly. Paper straws cost on average around 2.5 cents ($0.025), whereas plastic straws cost only half a cent ($0.005). The Pasig River in the Philippines is another scary example of the negative effects of plastic bags on the environment. Which brings us to the second part. They also arent accepted by recycling facilities because they can jam recycling machinery (due to their small size). By being aware about these issues, you will be ready to present some strong arguments why plastic bags should be banned in your area and answer questions of people who will become your ally if you will persuade them about your good intentions. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? Straws made of paper are neither recyclable nor capable of decomposition. 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. You as an individual have the power to make a gradual change in your community. 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. Starting in the 1960s, plastic straw manufacturing took off. But should plastic straws really be banned? We can also decrease costs through improved bioprocessing methods, through metabolic engineering and by exploring and harnessing the incredible diversity of bioplastic-making systems that evolution has already created. 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. Killing wildlife 5. Sea turtles are not the only species suffering from plastic bag pollution of the environment. Getting rid of a single plastic straw may not have a very large effect on the environment. 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. These are known to be hormone-disrupting chemicals. 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). 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. So, plastic waste only speeds up the destruction of these most biodiverse ecosystems on earth. Such changes could have outsized benefits for vulnerable populations that rely on rivers for their water supply. This leaves few other alternatives other than plastic straws. Starbucks recently announced that it would phase out use of plastic straws by the year 2020. 6461 garfield street hollywood, fl. . Cook more often, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers. Although, really, these tips can be used by anyone, not just kids. 1 producer of plastic waste in the world. So, plastic bag recycling facilities are few and far between and transportation to one could be expensive. Thus, plastic straws cant be recycled. 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. Theyve even made their way up to the secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. Straws are said to be one of the top 10 objects recovered during beach clean-ups by the Ocean Conservancy. And Starbucks, which uses an estimated one billion plastic straws per year, is phasing them out in favor of paper ones. Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect absorption of some important trace elements (like iron) which we need for maintaining proper health [13]. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? One of the most significant negative effects that plastic bags have on the natural world is that it takes a very long time for them to degrade.In addition, the breakdown of plastic bags in the sun results in the release of hazardous compounds into the surrounding soil, and the combustion of plastic bags results in the release of a poisonous material into the surrounding air, contributing to the problem of ambient air pollution. We dont know how it will in the long term affect plankton-feeding species and their predators. Plastic bags. And will a plastic straw ban actually be effective when it comes to saving our oceans and environment? 1. plastic straws litter our environment Every day, about 3-6 billion plastic straws are produced. These modern conveniences are so ubiquitousand so quickly thrown outthat they hardly register in our minds. Plastic use costs approximately $75 billion a year [16]. CRIDDLE:Cost is a huge issue. That is why the United Nations Environmental Programme Secretariat has recommended a ban on all plastic bags globally. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. 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]. Buy in bulk. Alarmingly, scientists estimate that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight in 2050. 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. 2. We should do likewise. In addition, despite the fact that the FDA has deemed this to be safe for consumption, chemicals from the plastic may seep into liquids, releasing substances that have the potential to influence estrogen levels. Because of this, the plants and wildlife in the area have a potential risk of absorbing the microplastics through their diets and drinking water. 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. Nows the Time. But beyond these impacts, the bans have cultural effects. If the answer is yes, you should know that this inadvertent overconsumption of single-use plastic carries with it a very high cost to the environment, which in turn also negatively affects our health. These examples could go on for a long time. We do not know the full impact of microplastics exceeding the mass of plankton in the ocean. 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. Here's a quick list of the ways plastic straws may be harming your health: 1. 1. The bottom line of any plastic ban is that we must use less single-use plastics overall. Not easy to recycle 7. McDonald's recently announced . Even if you can't go zero waste entirely, it's high time we all ended our reliance on single use plastics. Accompanied by high social accountability and musical garbage trucks, that strategy has proved wildly effective: the island now reports recycling rates above 50 percent. 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. The trend has already started. 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.). Its also important to look at the bigger picture regarding plastic bans. 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. But you should also consider the other perspective what effect single-use bags have had on the local economy and product affordability. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. Refineries where crude oil is turned into plastic make up one of the most greenhouse gasintensive industries in the manufacturing sector. [PDF] Skip The Straw - 10 Reasons Fact Sheet - Kids. But these cases make up a small fraction of single-use plastic. Considering what important source of food plankton is for many other species, it is clear that plastic gets distributed across the marine ecosystem. 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. 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. Left alone, plastics dont really break down; they just break up. What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers? 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. A complete ban on plastic straws would harm disabled people, which definitely isnt the goal of such a ban. The second, more fundamental imperative is to get plastics out of our waste stream. And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. Criddle and Leape are also senior fellows at theStanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Single use plastics wreak havoc on wildlife and the earth. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. Martin Grimm/Picture-alliance via Associated Press. 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. Help us break the cycle of causing unnecessary harm and damage in the name of "convenience". We all are just trying to do our job well. (Everything You Need To Know). What Is Plastic Made Of And How Is It Manufactured? Increased awareness about the negative effects of single-use plastics would help the environment a lot more than just a simple plastic straw ban. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. How Plastic Bottles Become Death Traps for Hermit Crabs. Even when you dont see it, these indestructible particles are everywhere around us, including in the food chain. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. Most drop-off collection points accept plastic bags made from high-density polyethylene (plastic number 2) and low-density polyethylene (plastic number 4). 2023 Get Green Now. Ms. LISA PAI . However, we are all too familiar with situations when a cashier automatically puts your items in a plastic bag before you can oppose it. You can share this article on social media by using the share buttons below. The explanation is quite simple. Nearly 20 years ago, a dead pelican was found with its stomach filled with 17 plastic bags [10]. What do the bans accomplish? 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.