10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned
As plastic bags are not disposed properly . Tiny plastic particles have been found in human feces. 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. Our addiction to plastic also has negative impacts on the climate. Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? female pomeranian temperament; splinterlands terms and conditions; carbon emissions data by company; ( ) + . Simply, refuse them when offered and bring your own reusable bag when shopping. Manufacturers began replacing traditionally paper or glass staples with lighter or more durable and affordable plastic alternatives; plastic jugs replaced milk jars, for instance. 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. But you should also consider the other perspective what effect single-use bags have had on the local economy and product affordability. 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. 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? Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. These tiny plastic particles have been found in our oceans, soil, and even in the air. Paper straws cannot be recycled in any way. Nows the Time. Divers, for example, descend 130 feet under the water, seek unique-looking creatures, and observe the marine world in all its glory. While an extra two cents may not seem like a lot, it could make a difference for some businesses that depend on plastic straws. For most, straws are not a necessity, but a convenience. The cashier usually understands, only had to do what instructed and what most customers expect (unfortunately) from him or her. Criddle and Leape are also senior fellows at theStanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. New and sustainable business models are needed to address the current plastic deluge and also to enable a new generation of sustainable materials and technologies. We should also try to give up plastic straws if we are capable of doing so. 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. 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned. Greenwashing Alert: Chemical Recycling Isnt Actually Recycling. 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. They discovered that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestl products were found most often. The small pilot whale, found in a Thai canal this past June, is another symptom of a crisis in the worlds oceans. 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. Plastic bags. India, for example, generates 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day but collects only 60 percent of it. 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 bags are often mistaken for food by animals, birds, and marine life. McDonald's recently announced . Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good. Plastic bags are everywhere. 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. Prior the ban, 70 percent of livestock losses were attributed to plastic bag ingestion. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. Our plastic addiction is having a devastating impact on our oceans, our wildlife, and our health. And when it comes to waste that lasts forever, every ton counts. 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. 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.). InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. Some opposers of the plastic straw ban say that a ban is unlikely to actually help the environment, as plastic straws do not make up a large percentage of plastic in the ocean. Which brings us to the second part. Buy in bulk. Plastic bag litter has even caused great problems in some areas. Companies are trying to sell communities on a toxic solution to the plastic pollution crisis. This could negatively reflect on their income. 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. 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. 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. The resulting number is staggering. 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. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. Plastic straws are one of the most common forms of pollution found on beaches and in oceans all over the world. Those global companies can be important levers in driving change and shifting to a regenerative, circular economy. (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. Tushy Ace Review (After 3 Months): Is this Luxury Bidet Worth it? Let us know if you liked this article. Banning plastic straws is also increasingly popular. 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. Search for jobs related to Reasons why smoking should be banned articles or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 22m+ jobs. Without proper education, few people would know the purpose of the ban, and they would continue using other single-use plastics which could be even worse for the environment. McDonalds swapped its plastic straws for paper at its United Kingdom and Ireland restaurants. Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education. Animals can also easily become entangled in this plastic waste. Among the U.S. cities to outlaw plastic straws are Malibu, Berkeley, Seattle, and Miami Beach. In my opinion, plastic straws should not be banned outright, because many disabled people require plastic straws to drink. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. Banning straws may confer 'moral license' allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. Paper vs. And Starbucks, which uses an estimated one billion plastic straws per year, is phasing them out in favor of paper ones. This means that you need to first educate yourself about the problem. While we may not pay for plastic bags directly when we go shopping, they are anything but free.. By comparison, an estimated 46 percent of all pollution in the ocean is made up of lost or abandoned fishing gear (Vox). 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. Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering eliminating or phasing out single-use plastics such as straws. The most common are inorganic dyes that are added to change the color of plastic bags. 2. Not only does banning single-use plastic reduce pollution, but it also reduces demand for plastic production thats contributing to global climate change. LEAPE:Microplastics pervade the oceans. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. LEAPE:Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of the problem less than 1 percent. You as an individual have the power to make a gradual change in your community. Only then would a plastic straw ban be able to actually help preserve the environment. How? It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. 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. Well, a possible alternative solution could be to encourage businesses to only give out plastic straws on request. This strategy has been adopted by some countries and municipalities so far and has proven to greatly reduce plastic bag usage by consumers. [PDF] Skip The Straw - 10 Reasons Fact Sheet - Kids. 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. What Is Plastic Made Of And How Is It Manufactured? In fact, plastic straws only make up around 0.03 percent of total plastic waste by mass. 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]. 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. Heres everything you need to know about the most ubiquitous (and avoidable) kind of plastic waste: the kind made to be tossed in mere minutes. America Needs a Plastics Intervention. 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.
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