Harmful to human health 6. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. 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. This type of plastic is derived from petroleum. Overall, the main reason for a plastic straw ban is to help the environment by preventing plastic straws pollution. 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. They are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials. Low rated: 2. Forty years after the launch of the first universal recycling symbol, only 14 percent of plastic packaging is recycled. Learn how your comment data is processed. These tiny plastic particles have been found in our oceans, soil, and even in the air. Most of it is either dumped in landfills or ends up in the ocean. While these countries and municipalities have been making strides in their part of reducing circulation of plastic bags, in total there are 195 countries in the world [19] and the issue of plastic pollution is still getting out of our hands. 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. Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. . Facebook; Contact Now . Actress Nina Nelson and other celebrities made a video claiming that plastic. Once in the ocean, plastic pollution is extremely dangerous to marine life, and plastic straws are no exception. However, I do believe that we should limit our use of plastic straws by asking businesses to only give out straws on request. Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. Plastic bag litter has even caused great problems in some areas. What about you? 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. 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. The cashier usually understands, only had to do what instructed and what most customers expect (unfortunately) from him or her. 1. Thoughtful laws are needed to control the problem and at the same time encourage innovation. 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. Plastic, in general, is one of the biggest pollutants in the world. An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. Plastic bags. Your email address will not be published. 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. Instead of investing in quality goods that will last, we often prioritize convenience over durability and consideration of long-term impacts. This could negatively reflect on their income. 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]. Plastic utensils are convenient and straws are fun for kids, but much of that plastic eventually winds up in a landfill or as litter. Plastic bag bansideally accompanied by a fee on paper bagsare also catching on. 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]. 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. Without further due, here are the top 3 ways kids can help, Read More 3 Ways Kids can Help the EarthContinue, What Are Microplastics? 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. Paper vs. Author: floridadep.gov. Paper straws cost on average around 2.5 cents ($0.025), whereas plastic straws cost only half a cent ($0.005). Although single-use plastic pollution accumulates most visibly on our streets, in fact our water suffers even more. Consumer outrage about the plastics crisis is already commanding attention from big companies and from many governments. The decrease in demand for plastic bags forces manufacturers to reduce their production and consider expanding in a supply of alternative products. Help us break the cycle of causing unnecessary harm and damage in the name of "convenience". 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. It means that most bags can 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. Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. No! All Rights Reserved. In Germany alone, we use 40 billion plastic straws every year. Sea turtles are not the only species suffering from plastic bag pollution of the environment. 2015-2023 Greentumble. 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. This includes grocery plastic bags, Ziplock-type bags, dry cleaning bags and bread bags. Plastic is putting a strain on waste management systems, our oceans, and vulnerable communities the world over. Theyve even made their way up to the secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. Straws made of plastic contribute to the pollution of our seas and streams. You cannot recycle them in the regular curbside collection of plastic, but you should be able to find many larger food stores and retailers (for example: Target, Walmart, Tesco, Morrisons, etc.) According to market research firms, Americans use about 350 million plastic straws every single day. Plastic bags floating in the ocean resemble jellyfish, one of the main sources of food for some species of sea turtles, especially the critically-endangered Leatherback turtles. The second, more fundamental imperative is to get plastics out of our waste stream. But only a few of us realize that each time we accept those disposable plastic grocery bags at store checkout, we actively participate in wasting energy and depleting non-renewable resources. You can share this article on social media by using the share buttons below. Greentumble is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We are a couple of environmentalists who seek inspiration for life in simple values based on our love for nature. 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. 1. Will others? In New York, 23 billion plastic bags are used by residents each year. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment? Its Plastic Incineration. Even if you can't go zero waste entirely, it's high time we all ended our reliance on single use plastics. In 2015 a mere 24 of these ethane cracker facilities in the United States had the combined carbon output of 3.8 million passenger vehicles. Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. 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. In this article, Ill go over both the pros and cons of a plastic straw ban. . [PDF] Skip The Straw - 10 Reasons Fact Sheet - Kids. 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. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. And will a plastic straw ban actually be effective when it comes to saving our oceans and environment? Ms. LISA PAI . Accompanied by high social accountability and musical garbage trucks, that strategy has proved wildly effective: the island now reports recycling rates above 50 percent. A plastic straw ban would serve to reduce the number of plastic straws entering the ocean. What never leaves, Read More Sustainable Diving & Snorkeling: How to Prevent Damage to Marine EcosystemsContinue, Top 3 Ways Kids can Help the Earth! You probably already saw the video, but if you didnt, you can watch it below (WARNING: Graphic Content): Supporters of plastic straw bans claim that the ban will help reduce our use of single-use plastics. Refineries where crude oil is turned into plastic make up one of the most greenhouse gasintensive industries in the manufacturing sector. Straws don't provide as much utility as bags, so for many this is an easy adjustment. It is estimated that there are now 150 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean. How can you help to ban plastic bags in your area? These steps are pretty straight forward and depend on your own initiative. We use them to drink beverages at home and we get them at almost every restaurant. An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. update email soon. What do the bans accomplish? 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. But, are paper straws really better for the environment? They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. These microscopic plastic fragments, no more than 5 millimeters long, are hard to detectand are just about everywhere. Our reliance on these plastics means we are accumulating waste at a staggering rate. If it looks clean, smells clean (and sounds clean! 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. Exposure to microplastics, as well as the chemicals that are added to plastics during processing, harm our health. 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. The Pasig River in the Philippines is another scary example of the negative effects of plastic bags on the environment. 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. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. 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. Plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds will no longer be sold in Britain as part of a plan to eradicate "avoidable plastic waste" by 2042, and Prime Minister Theresa May actively called on other leaders in the Commonwealth to implement similar policies. It is predicted that each year 8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean, with 1.152.41 tons of that plastic being carried there by major rivers all over the world. American beaver populations are booming in the western United States as conditions grow hotter and drier. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in the mid-19th century, it wasnt until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed. Please share this message with your friends so that together, we can tackle our global plastic problem. 1. plastic straws litter our environment Every day, about 3-6 billion plastic straws are produced. This measure should encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned. On average, plastic bags cost retailers about 3-5 cents each. 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. 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. India, for example, generates 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day but collects only 60 percent of it. 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. 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]. Paper straws cannot be recycled in any way. 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. Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy An Oregon community is making spectacular statues out of ocean plastic to raise awareness about a crisis at sea. 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. We will 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. What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? 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]. 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. 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. Recycling more plastic, more frequently, reduces its footprint. Companies are forced to innovate, rethinking their designs and sourcing sustainable materials. Criddle and Leape are also senior fellows at theStanford Woods Institute for the Environment. PLASTIC STRAWS CANT BE BROKEN DOWN BY NATURE. A wave of single-use plastic bans is sweeping the country and the globemost often on plastic bags, straws, stirrers, and takeout clamshells. The crucial challenge is to ensure that these bans are just a first step. Thanks for signing up.