10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If youd like to learn more about how plastic straws negatively impact the environment, you can check out this article I wrote about the environmental impact of plastic straws. This leaves few other alternatives other than plastic straws. PLASTIC STRAWS CANT BE BROKEN DOWN BY NATURE. Plastic straws are everywhere we look. But should plastic straws really be banned? After all, ask your grandparents, they will remember that during their time people were used to go shopping with their own bags or baskets. Hi, Im Hugh, and my mission with Get Green Now is to raise awareness of environmental issues and teach people how to live sustainably. Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect absorption of some important trace elements (like iron) which we need for maintaining proper health [13]. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. 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. Criddle isdirector of StanfordsCodiga Resource Recovery Center,a member ofStanford Bio-Xand an affiliate of thePrecourt Institute for Energy. Avoid individually packaged goods, like snack packs. 15. 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? 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. Do you also have that overflowing kitchen drawer full of plastic bags you bring from your shopping trips? Exposure to microplastics, as well as the chemicals that are added to plastics during processing, harm our health. This strategy has been adopted by some countries and municipalities so far and has proven to greatly reduce plastic bag usage by consumers. Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. 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. Come with external costs 9. Car Recycling: Everything You Need to Know (With Statistics), Sustainable Diving & Snorkeling: How to Prevent Damage to Marine Ecosystems, What Are Microplastics and Why Are They a Concern? Reusable shopping bags are very durable and can be reused many times over the course of their useful life. So, retailers incorporate this cost hiddenly into prices of other items sold at stores. McDonald's recently announced . 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. Even if plastic doesnt end up in the ocean, recycled plastic is often exported from high-income countries to developing countries to process. In countries with a lack of awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags, a polite refusal might not be met with much understanding. Plastic utensils are convenient and straws are fun for kids, but much of that plastic eventually winds up in a landfill or as litter. Tushy Ace Review (After 3 Months): Is this Luxury Bidet Worth it? This means that the average consumption of plastic bags per person dropped from 328 bags per year to just 21 [20]. 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. What Is Plastic Made Of And How Is It Manufactured? As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. Ill also go over whether or not plastic straw bans will actually help the environment, and explain everything else youll need to know. 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. And recent studies found plastic in the guts of 90 percent of the seabirds tested and 100 percent of the turtles. We should also try to give up plastic straws if we are capable of doing so. Speak out in support of local plastic bans, whether by calling your local government representative, submitting an op-ed to your citys newspaper, or simply starting conversations with neighbors. NRDC scientist Jennifer Sass says yes and debunks the skeptics claim that in trying to wean ourselves off plastic bags, were only creating more troubles. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they can drink. Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. 4. Additionally, someone has to pay the cost of dealing with plastic bags in the waste stream. For instance, a lot of the plastic produced in Asian countries is for products that serve U.S. demandand the United States often sends plastic waste back to these countries for recycling.). But single-use plastics come with a steep environmental priceone that well be paying off for millennia. The ban also kept them from littering neighborhoods and the environment. However, I do believe that we should limit our use of plastic straws by asking businesses to only give out straws on request. They are tinier than a palm of your hand and appear so fragile when struggling across the beach to make it to the sea. 12 Reasons for Banning Plastic Bags: Plastic Bags Are Made With Non-Renewable Energy Plastic Bags Use Up Lots Of Energy Plastic Bags End Up In The Ocean Beach Plastic Litter Is On The Rise Plastic Bags Kill Millions Of Animals Every Year Plastic Takes A Long Time To Disintegrate Plastic Is Harming The Ocean's Coral Plastic Bags Contain Toxins So that free plastic bag isnt so free after all. As a result, they are thrown away and frequently wind up in the ocean, where they pollute the water and eventually kill marine birds, animals, and fish. According to the researchers, the turtle likely mistook the straw for food and swallowed it. Required fields are marked *. A 2017 Environmental Sciences and Technology study reported that up to 95 percent of plastic waste enters oceans from one of 10 riverseight in Asia and two in Africa. This type of plastic is derived from petroleum. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. In fact, plastic straws only make up around 0.03 percent of total plastic waste by mass. Have you ever seen endangered sea turtles hatch? Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. This includes grocery plastic bags, Ziplock-type bags, dry cleaning bags and bread bags. Our addiction to plastic also has negative impacts on the climate. On average, taxpayers end up paying about $88 per year just on plastic bag waste [15]. A last example of a true horror caused by plastic has been discovered just recently. 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. There were numerous cases of birds caught in plastic bags, unable to fly and feed, eventually strangling themselves to death. We need to make fully biodegradable polymers that are cost-competitive. They suspect that it may add stress on the liver by introducing more pathogens into the body. This amount of marine life, which includes fish and turtles, is sufficient to fill 125 school buses. Paper vs. You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. These microscopic plastic fragments, no more than 5 millimeters long, are hard to detectand are just about everywhere. India, for example, generates 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day but collects only 60 percent of it. Companies are forced to innovate, rethinking their designs and sourcing sustainable materials. Help raise awareness of fellow consumers that means everyone when you think about it (unless they dont shopever). This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. Will Shifting to Reusable Straws Really Make a Difference? Harmful to human health 6. The cashier usually understands, only had to do what instructed and what most customers expect (unfortunately) from him or her. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. 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. O This requires the usage of 500 million straws, Straws and other items made of plastic are harmful, Every day in the United States. Only then would a plastic straw ban be able to actually help preserve the environment. Left alone, plastics dont really break down; they just break up. You need to know what effects plastic bags have on the environment and health. Rating: 5 (913 reviews) Highest rating: 5. Single-use plastics are a glaring example of the problems with throwaway culture. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and serviceware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. 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. The trend has already started. The small pilot whale, found in a Thai canal this past June, is another symptom of a crisis in the worlds oceans. 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 straws are also the 6th most common trash item found during ocean cleanups. Coca-Cola has said that it alone produces three million tons of plastic packaging each year, equivalent to a terrifying 200,000 plastic bottles per minute. Better alternatives are available 10. Starbucks recently announced that it would phase out use of plastic straws by the year 2020. Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. For most, straws are not a necessity, but a convenience. Participate in beach or river cleanups. Avoid plastic wrap altogether by storing leftovers in reusable containers. Polypropylene is a form of plastic that is frequently used in the production of straws. 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. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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]. Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection 10 Reasons Why Plastic Straws Should Be Banned? And they help shift consumer mind-sets, as people begin to recognize that exorbitant and avoidable waste is not sustainable. 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. These actions are a response to calls for change and shifting consumer habits. Car Modifications for Electric Vehicles: Whats Possible. American beaver populations are booming in the western United States as conditions grow hotter and drier. Communities and consumers can play vital roles in sparking action. These pieces can be so small that they are invisible to our eye. Another indirect danger of plastic bags has breeding ground in the pollution they create. 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. Banning plastic straws is also increasingly popular. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment?Continue. Getting rid of a single plastic straw may not have a very large effect on the environment. Even when you dont see it, these indestructible particles are everywhere around us, including in the food chain. While an extra two cents may not seem like a lot, it could make a difference for some businesses that depend on plastic straws. This means that you need to first educate yourself about the problem. Dont re-wash something if you can wear it again. 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. We should just stick to plastic. The crisis is so serious that many people are saying that plastic straws should be outlawed. 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. Therefore, a plastic straw ban by itself is unlikely to be very effective in actually helping the environment, although it could act as a gateway into the reduction of other single-use plastics. Theyve even made their way up to the secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. 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. Instead of searching for another buyer, maybe some soul-searching is in order. The bottom line of any plastic ban is that we must use less single-use plastics overall. We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. Thats a promising start. 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. Its Plastic Incineration. 2. What to do with plastic bags you already have at home? Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good. 6461 garfield street hollywood, fl. update email soon. Once a person gets into the habit of bringing reusable bags when shopping, it is not much of an inconvenience at all. We all are just trying to do our job well. If the environmental movement drew up a Most Unwanted list for 2018, the plastic drinking straw surely would land New York State and Hawaii just passed theirs, set to go into effect in 2020, and Californias bag ban, which was passed in 2014, has been shown to have reduced plastic bag usage by 85 percent (with some customers opting to pay a 10 cent fee for thicker plastic bags) and has reduced coastal pollution. Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. New research shows their prolific dam building benefits river water quality so much, it outweighs the damaging influence of climate-driven droughts. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. Over time, sun and heat slowly turn plastics into smaller and smaller pieces until they eventually become what are known as microplastics. Your email address will not be published. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. According to estimates made by scientists, there are 7.5 million polluting straws around the shores of the United States, and anywhere from 437 million to 8.3 billion plastic straws throughout the coastlines of the rest of the globe. 2023 Get Green Now. There are numerous reasons why PLA straws are not the right substitute for plastic straws . On average, plastic bags cost retailers about 3-5 cents each. Overall, the main reason for a plastic straw ban is to help the environment by preventing plastic straws pollution. 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. Considering what important source of food plankton is for many other species, it is clear that plastic gets distributed across the marine ecosystem. Reduce Aesthetic value of your neighborhood. One recent survey found plastics in 94 percent of tap water samples in the U.S. and in nearly every brand of bottled water. Companies are trying to sell communities on a toxic solution to the plastic pollution crisis. Beached whales have been found with stomachs full of plastic trash. Not easy to recycle 7. 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. By simply using less plastic, you can help keep marine life from eating and getting entangled in garbage. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. 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.