10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned

Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. We will You as an individual have the power to make a gradual change in your community. 1 producer of plastic waste in the world. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. 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. 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. LEAPE:Microplastics pervade the oceans. 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. The decrease in demand for plastic bags forces manufacturers to reduce their production and consider expanding in a supply of alternative products. There are some great initiatives that strive to provide jobs for women in rural communities with limited possibilities of securing monthly income. Such materials already exist in nature. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go. O This requires the usage of 500 million straws, Straws and other items made of plastic are harmful, Every day in the United States. 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. 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. These microscopic plastic fragments, no more than 5 millimeters long, are hard to detectand are just about everywhere. Avoid plastic wrap altogether by storing leftovers in reusable containers. Companies are forced to innovate, rethinking their designs and sourcing sustainable materials. An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Will Shifting to Reusable Straws Really Make a Difference? We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11]. 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. The most heartbreaking part of this is that the affected animals are not aware they eat something that will make them feel miserable and will slowly kill them. 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. 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. 2. Unfortunately, such a high level of pollution doesnt come without consequences. The phthalate DEHP, as just one example from dozens, is often added to plastic goods like shower curtains and garden hoses to make them more flexiblebut was also found to be a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For example, millions of discarded plastic bags clog water drainage channels and sewers in urban areas of Bangladesh. A Ban Could Harm Local Businesses If 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. 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. Over time, sun and heat slowly turn plastics into smaller and smaller pieces until they eventually become what are known as microplastics. They suspect that it may add stress on the liver by introducing more pathogens into the body. Even if you can't go zero waste entirely, it's high time we all ended our reliance on single use plastics. Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. America Needs a Plastics Intervention. How exactly does the use of plastic do harm to the environment?Plastic has a very long half-life in the environment, during which it poses a danger to animals and spreads toxic chemicals.Additionally, plastic is a contributor to the warming of the planet.Nearly every type of plastic is manufactured using chemicals that are leftover from the manufacturing of fossil fuels, which contribute to global warming (gas, oil and even coal). Plastic is not the largest contributor of pollution and the . Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. Spare Yourself the Guilt Trip This Earth DayIts Companies That Need to Clean Up Their Acts, These Fanciful Sea Creatures Were Carried in on the Tide. In effect, nature has designed this plastic for disassembly. Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics have been produced, and half of that in the past 15 years alone. Many of you may have heard it already. According to the United States National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, microplastics are so small that they move straight through water filtration, Read More What Are Microplastics and Why Are They a Concern? Because they are so lightweight, plastic bags get easily picked up by wind and travel long distances by wind and water to pollute the nature. A last example of a true horror caused by plastic has been discovered just recently. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection However, if a plastic straw ban is properly implemented with education about single-use plastics, then the ban could encourage the public to reduce their usage of other single-use plastics as well. The very best alternative is a reusable bag. 2023 Get Green Now. 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. Overall, the main reason for a plastic straw ban is to help the environment by preventing plastic straws pollution. Shuddering and unable to breathe, he vomited up five plastic bags. 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. 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. Facebook; Contact Now . In this article, Ill go over both the pros and cons of a plastic straw ban. To align with global efforts, India banned single-use plastic items from July 1, 2022. Thats a promising start. This way, disabled people can continue to be served, while also reducing the number of plastic straws that we use. We do not know the full impact of microplastics exceeding the mass of plankton in the ocean. Among the U.S. cities to outlaw plastic straws are Malibu, Berkeley, Seattle, and Miami Beach. Although, really, these tips can be used by anyone, not just kids. The production of these bags is very energy intensive. 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. (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. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. 2. Lizzie Carr is shining a light on what is floating through the worlds waterways, and breaking athletic records along the way. Animals can also easily become entangled in this plastic waste. Have some dirty clothes that you just wore today? What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers? Accompanied by high social accountability and musical garbage trucks, that strategy has proved wildly effective: the island now reports recycling rates above 50 percent. By 2030, CEO James Quincey has pledged to use 50 percent recycled material in its bottles and cans and recycle one bottle or can. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. Thus, plastic straws cant be recycled. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. 4. Gas, bloating, and intestinal discomfort. Considering what important source of food plankton is for many other species, it is clear that plastic gets distributed across the marine ecosystem. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. Individual choicesand the collective shifts they bring aboutadd up quickly. But, are paper straws really better for the environment? update email soon. All Rights Reserved. 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. Thoughtful laws are needed to control the problem and at the same time encourage innovation. A calf had to be put down because of indigestion caused by 8 plastic bags in its stomach. Refineries where crude oil is turned into plastic make up one of the most greenhouse gasintensive industries in the manufacturing sector. The crisis is so serious that many people are saying that plastic straws should be outlawed. And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. They prevent millions of tons of plastic from entering the waste stream each year. But these cases make up a small fraction of single-use plastic. We shouldnt ban plastic straws if it creates an accessibility issue. Alarmingly, scientists estimate that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight in 2050. They are tinier than a palm of your hand and appear so fragile when struggling across the beach to make it to the sea. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? Plastic straws are not the first iteration of straws. These pieces can be so small that they are invisible to our eye. The explanation is quite simple. Forty years after the launch of the first universal recycling symbol, only 14 percent of plastic packaging is recycled. The following are ten lines on why plastic bags need to be prohibited: 1) The careless disposal of trash in plastic bags leads to an increase in litter.2) The use of plastic bags contributes to the depletion of our natural resources, including water, trees, and agricultural products.3) Because of the danger it causes to marine life, the total We've all become too hooked on the availability and comfort of the stuff. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. Starbucks recently announced that it would phase out use of plastic straws by the year 2020. 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. Greenwashing Alert: Chemical Recycling Isnt Actually Recycling. Summary: Reduce your use of single-use plastics. They are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials. 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. 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 companies are taking initiative on their own. This includes grocery plastic bags, Ziplock-type bags, dry cleaning bags and bread bags. Do you also have that overflowing kitchen drawer full of plastic bags you bring from your shopping trips? (Source: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment), Stanford scientists are among a growing number of researchers harnessing artificial intelligence techniques to bring more realistic representations of ubiquitous atmospheric ripples into global climate models. If there is one piece of advice that everyone should remember, it would be that nothing is for free in this world. The single biggest reason why people want to ban plastic straws is because of their negative effects on the environment. The most common are inorganic dyes that are added to change the color of plastic bags. There is a lot of research now underway on the health effects of ocean plastics, but we already know that some plastics, and the chemicals that attach themselves to plastics in the water, can cause cancer, genetic disruptions and other ill effects. While we may not pay for plastic bags directly when we go shopping, they are anything but free.. Most plastic straws are made from harsh chemicals making them impossible to reuse or recycle. Communities with good awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags have been more successful at enforcing the ban [20]. These tiny plastic particles have been found in our oceans, soil, and even in the air. They are a part of our modern lives, and we dont tend to think much about them. If you are constantly feeling gassy, then you should definitely consider drinking beverages the old fashioned way. Plastic straws are everywhere we look. In my opinion, plastic straws should not be banned outright, because many disabled people require plastic straws to drink. This includes waste collection, regular cleanups to remove plastic bag litter along the roads or blown away from landfills and then even processing at landfill sites. 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. If plastic straws are completely banned, local small businesses like boba tea shops will have to look for pricier alternatives. 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. InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. Additionally, awareness raising campaigns create a social pressure that should inspire local government and institutions to help in making changes at a bigger scale, like a regional ban or levy.