But beyond these impacts, the bans have cultural effects. Nows the Time. 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. Many of the chemicals in plastics are known endocrine disruptors,and research has suggested that human exposure could cause health impacts including hormonal imbalances, reproductive problems like infertility, and even cancer. Some companies are taking initiative on their own. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. Once a paper product has been contaminated with food or drink, it must be disposed of in a landfill. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option. Plastic bags being the major component of the trash thrown away, most of it ends up on the streets. CRIDDLE:We need to think about what incentives will promote a culture of recycling and innovation with respect to waste streams. Here's a quick list of the ways plastic straws may be harming your health: 1. They contribute to the contamination of our landfills and seas when they are discarded after use. 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. 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. You as an individual have the power to make a gradual change in your community. (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. 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. Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics have been produced, and half of that in the past 15 years alone. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. What do the bans accomplish? Using these non-renewable resources to make plastic bags is very short-sighted, considering that the typical useful life of each plastic bag is about 12 minutes and that the worlds oil reserves contain enough oil to cover our needs through 2050, as the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates. Recently, however, plastic straws have been the subject of many plastic bans in an attempt to help the environment. While we may not pay for plastic bags directly when we go shopping, they are anything but free.. When animals ingest plastic, it clogs up their digestive systems, which can easily choke or kill animals like birds or sea turtles. Five Reasons Banning Plastics May Harm the Environment and Consumers It is estimated that there are now 150 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean. FNB News - Choose the right straw | FNB News All rights reserved. That is why the United Nations Environmental Programme Secretariat has recommended a ban on all plastic bags globally. Why we shouldn't ban plastic straws Antithesis Journal Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. Then, they have a propensity to break down into microplastics, which then clutter the ecosystems in question. Will Shifting to Reusable Straws Really Make a Difference? There are some great initiatives that strive to provide jobs for women in rural communities with limited possibilities of securing monthly income. But this comes along with many unanswered questions. Let us know if you liked this article. Post date: 18 yesterday. 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. LEAPE:Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of the problem less than 1 percent. Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? If you are constantly feeling gassy, then you should definitely consider drinking beverages the old fashioned way. After all, ask your grandparents, they will remember that during their time people were used to go shopping with their own bags or baskets. Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. Quick Navigation for Reasons Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Banned REASONS 1. It means that most bags can be recycled. You can share this article on social media by using the share buttons below. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection Its also important to look at the bigger picture regarding plastic bans. 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. Busca trabajos relacionados con Reasons why smoking should be banned articles o contrata en el mercado de freelancing ms grande del mundo con ms de 22m de trabajos. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. 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. 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. JIM LEAPE: Our oceans are currently swimming with plastics. Without further due, here are the top 3 ways kids can help, Read More 3 Ways Kids can Help the EarthContinue, What Are Microplastics? Please share this message with your friends so that together, we can tackle our global plastic problem. 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. Although, really, these tips can be used by anyone, not just kids. Not only does banning single-use plastic reduce pollution, but it also reduces demand for plastic production thats contributing to global climate change. Most drop-off collection points accept plastic bags made from high-density polyethylene (plastic number 2) and low-density polyethylene (plastic number 4). Activists Say Straws Should Be Banned Because They Are a 'Gateway Plastic' Lizzie Carr is shining a light on what is floating through the worlds waterways, and breaking athletic records along the way. 300 to 700 plastic bags pass through the hands of an average American in just one year [8] and a survey of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs concluded that the average household in the United Kingdom stores around 40 plastic shopping bags at home [2]. 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. Summary: Reduce your use of single-use plastics. 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 But should plastic straws really be banned? The Pasig River in the Philippines is another scary example of the negative effects of plastic bags on the environment. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. Help raise awareness of fellow consumers that means everyone when you think about it (unless they dont shopever). Since plastic bag recycling requires a specialized equipment that can break down the plastic and mold it into a new product, most municipalities do not have the budget to include their recycling in their waste management program. According to the findings of a study that was carried out in 2019 by students at the University of Washington, 78 percent of respondents used straws made of biodegradable materials that are in compliance with the prohibition, and 68 percent used utensils that are in compliance with the ban. You are free to have your own personal opinion on whether or not we should ban plastic straws. 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 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. 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. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. Simply, refuse them when offered and bring your own reusable bag when shopping. Well, a possible alternative solution could be to encourage businesses to only give out plastic straws on request. They're not alone. Better alternatives are available 10. 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. | | This is due to the fact that the plastic tubes are far too lightweight to be recycled in an efficient manner. Communities with good awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags have been more successful at enforcing the ban [20]. We are a couple of environmentalists who seek inspiration for life in simple values based on our love for nature. Polypropylene is a form of plastic that is frequently used in the production of straws. 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. They store these polymers inside their cells as tiny granules. 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. 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.
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