10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned

Its also important to look at the bigger picture regarding plastic bans. Once the wheel starts spinning, it leads to even more positive changes. 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. 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. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection By simply using less plastic, you can help keep marine life from eating and getting entangled in garbage. CRAIG CRIDDLE: In addition to recycling more and reusing materials more, we need new materials that can do the same jobs as current plastics, but are biodegradable, nontoxic and do not concentrate in food chains. Instead of searching for another buyer, maybe some soul-searching is in order. If it looks clean, smells clean (and sounds clean! Single-use plastics in particularespecially small items like straws, bags, and cutleryare traditionally hard to recycle because they fall into the crevices of recycling machinery and therefore are often not accepted by recycling centers. Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11]. The Pasig River in the Philippines is another scary example of the negative effects of plastic bags on the environment. 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. Buy in bulk. As plastic bags are not disposed properly . 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. Straws made of plastic contribute to the pollution of our seas and streams. This could negatively reflect on their income. Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option. As it turns out, many microorganisms make moldable bioplastic polymers that are fully degradable. Additionally, a plastic straw ban could also act as a gateway into other single-use plastic bans for items like plastic bottles and plastic bags, which are worse for the environment than plastic straws. Plastic items are more sanitary than other alternatives. Or you may need to accept that plastic bag this time and then start campaigning for a plastic bag ban in your area . NDLA National Disability Leadership Alliance: Nothing About Us Without Us. 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. 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. 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. 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. You can share this article on social media by using the share buttons below. Forty years after the launch of the first universal recycling symbol, only 14 percent of plastic packaging is recycled. We are working hard to improve our content. 4. Criddle has evaluated use of microorganisms to biodegrade plastic materials and to synthesize biodegradable bioplastics from waste feedstocks. 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. Ban of Plastic Can be Problematic. After all, ask your grandparents, they will remember that during their time people were used to go shopping with their own bags or baskets. We shouldnt ban plastic straws if it creates an accessibility issue. The single biggest reason why people want to ban plastic straws is because of their negative effects on the environment. How Plastic Bottles Become Death Traps for Hermit Crabs. They also arent accepted by recycling facilities because they can jam recycling machinery (due to their small size). The crisis is so serious that many people are saying that plastic straws should be outlawed. The problem with plastic straws is that they are one of the biggest causes of unnecessary plastic pollution. 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. 82 percent of the responding food service establishments were aware of the prohibition, and 69 percent of those establishments viewed the ban favorably. 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. Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. We should do likewise. While we may not pay for plastic bags directly when we go shopping, they are anything but free.. 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. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. 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]. 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 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. 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. Actress Nina Nelson and other celebrities made a video claiming that plastic. But you should also consider the other perspective what effect single-use bags have had on the local economy and product affordability. Each day, the United States of America uses 500 million drinking straws. Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education. However, one thing we know, is that by introducing a pollutant that may never break down in the environment can have implications that will far exceed any of our predictions. 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. In fact, plastic straws only make up around 0.03 percent of total plastic waste by mass. Plastic bags and plastic products overall contain substances that are harmful to our health. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. In countries with a lack of awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags, a polite refusal might not be met with much understanding. This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as time and place elements, style, and grammar); you cant resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you cant republish our material wholesale or automaticallyyou need to select stories individually; you can't republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when youve used one of our stories. Have a look yourself to imagine the suffering of these animals. They suspect that it may add stress on the liver by introducing more pathogens into the body. You can be sure of one thing, though. There are many uses for plastic that are not only reasonable but important, such as surgical gloves, or straws for people with disabilities. In 2015 researchers from the University of Georgia estimated that between 4.8 million and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic per year make their way into the oceans via people living within 30 miles of a coast. Tushy Ace Review (After 3 Months): Is this Luxury Bidet Worth it? They discovered that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestl products were found most often. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. According to some estimates, the cost of plastic bag cleanup is about 17 cents per bag [14] and the cost is paid by us once again. Do you also have that overflowing kitchen drawer full of plastic bags you bring from your shopping trips? Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. This measure should encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives. Summary: Reduce your use of single-use plastics. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. Getting rid of a single plastic straw may not have a very large effect on the environment. This is the case particularly in Southeast Asia, which has begun to import much of the plastic that used to go to China for recycling. 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. Dont re-wash something if you can wear it again. 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. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. 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. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. The explanation is quite simple. Author: floridadep.gov. Overall, the main reason for a plastic straw ban is to help the environment by preventing plastic straws pollution. 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. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. In this article, Ill go over both the pros and cons of a plastic straw ban. 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. Thus, plastic straws cant be recycled. edinburgh airport address. By 2030, CEO James Quincey has pledged to use 50 percent recycled material in its bottles and cans and recycle one bottle or can. Also, giving a speech in . Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. 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. Help raise awareness of fellow consumers that means everyone when you think about it (unless they dont shopever). But this comes along with many unanswered questions. At the beginning of July 2018, Seattle became the largest U.S. city to ban plastic straws. 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. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. 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]. (Some places are going so far as to ban single-use plastics entirely; most notably, India intends to go this route by 2022.) 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. Communities with good awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags have been more successful at enforcing the ban [20]. It is good for our environment, health and global climate. These actions are a response to calls for change and shifting consumer habits. Such is the case with many environmental crises: the worst effects are pushed onto overburdened communities with the fewest resources to fight back. Look around and you will notice that plastic bags are the most common litter. Hi, Im Hugh, and my mission with Get Green Now is to raise awareness of environmental issues and teach people how to live sustainably. 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 country instituted the ban in 2013 to minimize livestock deaths. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. How can you help to ban plastic bags in your area? Manufacturers began replacing traditionally paper or glass staples with lighter or more durable and affordable plastic alternatives; plastic jugs replaced milk jars, for instance. InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. update email soon. An Oregon community is making spectacular statues out of ocean plastic to raise awareness about a crisis at sea. 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. 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]. However, we are all too familiar with situations when a cashier automatically puts your items in a plastic bag before you can oppose it. Read more about us. Which brings us to the second part. Have you ever seen endangered sea turtles hatch? If you are constantly feeling gassy, then you should definitely consider drinking beverages the old fashioned way. Prior the ban, 70 percent of livestock losses were attributed to plastic bag ingestion. Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. The crucial challenge is to ensure that these bans are just a first step. Although, really, these tips can be used by anyone, not just kids. Companies are trying to sell communities on a toxic solution to the plastic pollution crisis. It has been projected that, if current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish. 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. What is the root of the problem (consumers or municipal waste management)? Not easy to recycle 7. Even when you dont see it, these indestructible particles are everywhere around us, including in the food chain. 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]. These steps are pretty straight forward and depend on your own initiative. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. Plastic bags are often mistaken for food by animals, birds, and marine life. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. But these cases make up a small fraction of single-use plastic. For example, millions of discarded plastic bags clog water drainage channels and sewers in urban areas of Bangladesh. Reduce Aesthetic value of your neighborhood. This includes grocery plastic bags, Ziplock-type bags, dry cleaning bags and bread bags. About; Disability Vote Blog; Organizer's Forum; Issues; News; NDLA Webinars (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. In effect, nature has designed this plastic for disassembly. 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. So, plastic waste only speeds up the destruction of these most biodiverse ecosystems on earth. 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. This blog covers a variety of topics including plastic pollution, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and much more. 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. 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. Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? 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]. (Everything You Need To Know).

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