10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned

Start from yourself and slowly expand to your family and friends. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. You need to know what effects plastic bags have on the environment and health. 2. 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. Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. TIME for Kids | Should Plastic Straws Be Banned? This means that you are not consuming more resources every time you need to carry your groceries home. For most, straws are not a necessity, but a convenience. We should also try to give up plastic straws if we are capable of doing so. Summary: Reduce your use of single-use plastics. Some companies are taking initiative on their own. Exposure to microplastics, as well as the chemicals that are added to plastics during processing, harm our health. 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. The single biggest reason why people want to ban plastic straws is because of their negative effects on the environment. What Is Plastic Made Of And How Is It Manufactured? No! Single-use plastics are a glaring example of the problems with throwaway culture. 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. 2015-2023 Greentumble. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. Another indirect danger of plastic bags has breeding ground in the pollution they create. 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 places are going so far as to ban single-use plastics entirely; most notably, India intends to go this route by 2022.) (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. 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. Although single-use plastic pollution accumulates most visibly on our streets, in fact our water suffers even more. 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. 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. 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. Plastic straws are not the first iteration of straws. We should do likewise. 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. 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. 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. Plastic pollutionwhether in our oceans, piling up on our coastlines, or contributing to our climate crisisimpacts vulnerable communities first. 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. 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. 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]. Buy in bulk. Sugar and oils are too expensive. Ill also go over whether or not plastic straw bans will actually help the environment, and explain everything else youll need to know. Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. What can I do for you? Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. But this comes along with many unanswered questions. 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. Ban of Plastic Can be Problematic. 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. The majority of plastic bags are made of polyethylene, a substance that is derived from crude oil refining and natural gas processing. The process of drilling for plastics source materials, oil and gas, leads to methane leaking and flaring and is often combined with clearing forests and wetlands that otherwise would have sequestered carbon. In Taiwan, which was once overflowing with so much trash that it spurred public protest and the nickname Garbage Island, companies now either manage their own waste or subsidize government-run infrastructure. CRIDDLE:We need to think about what incentives will promote a culture of recycling and innovation with respect to waste streams. What never leaves, Read More Sustainable Diving & Snorkeling: How to Prevent Damage to Marine EcosystemsContinue, Top 3 Ways Kids can Help the Earth! 15. Polypropylene is a form of plastic that is frequently used in the production of straws. Reasons why smoking should be banned articles jobs Such changes could have outsized benefits for vulnerable populations that rely on rivers for their water supply. Communities with good awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags have been more successful at enforcing the ban [20]. Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste. 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. TOP 10 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned BEST and NEWEST 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. Recently, however, plastic straws have been the subject of many plastic bans in an attempt to help the environment. A complete ban on plastic straws would harm disabled people, which definitely isnt the goal of such a ban. Criddle has evaluated use of microorganisms to biodegrade plastic materials and to synthesize biodegradable bioplastics from waste feedstocks. Plastic straws shouldn't be banned - The Rubicon 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. Plastic bags are often mistaken for food by animals, birds, and marine life. Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. We've all become too hooked on the availability and comfort of the stuff. Thus, plastic straws cant be recycled. Then, you should try to explain your reasons for not wanting your products packed in plastic bags. LEAPE:There are two clear imperatives. 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]. So, for example, companies need to not only make products that are recyclable, but actually make them out of recycled or truly biodegradable material. 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? The crucial challenge is to ensure that these bans are just a first step. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. Actress Nina Nelson and other celebrities made a video claiming that plastic. 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. 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. 2. 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. Help raise awareness of fellow consumers that means everyone when you think about it (unless they dont shopever). Policies like bottle bill lawswhich generally require retailers to add a fee on individual bottles, which can then be partially redeemed by customers when they recycleare a way to increase corporate responsibility for waste while providing a monetary incentive to recycle. 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. Reduce Aesthetic value of your neighborhood. If you are constantly feeling gassy, then you should definitely consider drinking beverages the old fashioned way. 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. In this essay on should plastic be banned, it is very important to put forth the fact that there are many bodies of health and environmental governance around the world who argue that plastic ban can be problematic stating the following reasons-. BY Rob Jordan, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, As Colorado River wanes, water supplies and ecosystems hang in the balance, Riverfront forest restoration can deliver outsized benefits, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, An AI solution to climate models gravity wave problem, Beavers will become a bigger boon to river water quality as U.S. West warms. State Disclosures. the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution, Impact of Plastic Bags on the Environment, non-renewable fossil fuel-based resources, Plastic Bag Degradation: What You Should Know, Serious Effects of Plastic Pollution on Human Health. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. These modern conveniences are so ubiquitousand so quickly thrown outthat they hardly register in our minds. and reefs composed of coral, F) I Plastic straws are one of the top five most often used items. Ms. LISA PAI . 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). Heres everything you need to know before plastic carryout bags disappear from the Empire State on March 1. China 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned Manufacturers, Supply 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned with High Quality, Wholesale 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned with Low Price, High Quality. Animals can also easily become entangled in this plastic waste. 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. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned - tmtnevins.com This blog covers a variety of topics including plastic pollution, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and much more. Author: floridadep.gov. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they. But these cases make up a small fraction of single-use plastic. Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. They're bad for the environment, kill marine life and damage human health. An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. Five Reasons Banning Plastics May Harm the Environment and Consumers What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? 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. After all, ask your grandparents, they will remember that during their time people were used to go shopping with their own bags or baskets. Paper straws are horrible and should be taken out of circulation About; Disability Vote Blog; Organizer's Forum; Issues; News; NDLA Webinars JIM LEAPE: Our oceans are currently swimming with plastics. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1]. Its also important to look at the bigger picture regarding plastic bans. 2. Shuddering and unable to breathe, he vomited up five plastic bags. If we ban single-use plastic straws we will have to turn to the dangerous alternatives.In source A study analyzes water transactions that leave water in the river, and shows how they could be scaled up to avert cuts for major water users while supporting imperiled ecosystems. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned - maktabyar.org You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. Many of you may have heard it already. Increased awareness about the negative effects of single-use plastics would help the environment a lot more than just a simple plastic straw ban.