update email soon. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. They contribute to the contamination of our landfills and seas when they are discarded after use. Single-use plastics are a glaring example of the problems with throwaway culture. Tangled in trees and fences along roads, floating in water, lying on the ground in parks and forests, surrounding garbage bins, washed off on beaches. However, as an environmental enthusiast, heres what I think about this ban. One recent survey found plastics in 94 percent of tap water samples in the U.S. and in nearly every brand of bottled water. Facebook; Contact Now . Skip the Straw - Florida Department of Environmental Protection A wave of single-use plastic bans is sweeping the country and the globemost often on plastic bags, straws, stirrers, and takeout clamshells. Animals can also easily become entangled in this plastic waste. When the monsoon rains start, streets get waterlogged just after the first few minutes because the water cannot pass through clogged sewerage pipes. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they can drink. A plastic straw ban would serve to reduce the number of plastic straws entering the ocean. Some experts estimate that more than 1 million sea animals are killed each year by straws and other types of plastic trash. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. However, we are all too familiar with situations when a cashier automatically puts your items in a plastic bag before you can oppose it. We all know what the debate is between plastic and paper straws but paper straws are horrible they will immediately break apart in your mouth and feel horrible. About; Disability Vote Blog; Organizer's Forum; Issues; News; NDLA Webinars Tushy Ace Review (After 3 Months): Is this Luxury Bidet Worth it? Once the wheel starts spinning, it leads to even more positive changes. However, I do believe that we should limit our use of plastic straws by asking businesses to only give out straws on request. Then, they have a propensity to break down into microplastics, which then clutter the ecosystems in question. Plastic straws are also the 6th most common trash item found during ocean cleanups. 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. Paper straws cost on average around 2.5 cents ($0.025), whereas plastic straws cost only half a cent ($0.005). If plastic straws are completely banned, local small businesses like boba tea shops will have to look for pricier alternatives. The cashier usually understands, only had to do what instructed and what most customers expect (unfortunately) from him or her. 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. Plastic straws are everywhere we look. On average, taxpayers end up paying about $88 per year just on plastic bag waste [15]. What is the root of the problem (consumers or municipal waste management)? 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]. Thus, plastic straws cant be recycled. Large producers of single-use plastics can make a big environmental impact. 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. And Starbucks, which uses an estimated one billion plastic straws per year, is phasing them out in favor of paper ones. Quick Navigation for Reasons Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Banned REASONS 1. Once in the ocean, plastic pollution is extremely dangerous to marine life, and plastic straws are no exception. Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. 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. We are working hard to improve our content. The answer isnt as simple as you may think: While its true that paper straws arent as harmful as plastic straws, this doesnt mean that, Read More Paper vs. These examples could go on for a long time. Nows the Time. This amount of marine life, which includes fish and turtles, is sufficient to fill 125 school buses. its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. Required fields are marked *. And will a plastic straw ban actually be effective when it comes to saving our oceans and environment? To make matters worse, if plastic straws get into the ocean, they can be mistaken for food by marine animals. There are numerous reasons why PLA straws are not the right substitute for plastic straws . 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. If you are a kid reading this, and you want to get green and help the Earth, you are at the right place. Only then would a plastic straw ban be able to actually help preserve the environment. She can remember all of her vehicles the Pontiac 6000, her familys car that was passed on to her when she went to college; the Volkswagen Rabbit, and later Fox, that took her through young adulthood; the Honda Civics,, Read More Car Recycling: Everything You Need to Know (With Statistics)Continue, Whether youre a scuba diver, snorkeler, or amateur swimmer, the ocean is a playground where you come to explore the beauty of nature and the difference from your regular lifes environment. As a result, the ban will reduce the number of plastic straws polluting the ocean. But, getting rid of all single-use plastics definitely will. In fact, the global backlash against plastic straws likely started after researchers off the coast of Costa Rica shared a viral video of a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck up its nose. Nearly 20 years ago, a dead pelican was found with its stomach filled with 17 plastic bags [10]. They discovered that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestl products were found most often. Banning straws may confer 'moral license' allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. Plastic Straws: Is Paper Really Better for the Environment? An outright ban on plastic straws would create an accessibility problem for disabled people while dining in public. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Such is the case with many environmental crises: the worst effects are pushed onto overburdened communities with the fewest resources to fight back. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Most retailers will get your point, but it can also happen that they will not be willing to sell you some products without placing it in their plastic bags because of having to oblige with some hygiene and sanitary standards (for example when selling meat products). Although single-use plastic pollution accumulates most visibly on our streets, in fact our water suffers even more. Plastic is putting a strain on waste management systems, our oceans, and vulnerable communities the world over. That is why the United Nations Environmental Programme Secretariat has recommended a ban on all plastic bags globally. 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. Greenwashing Alert: Chemical Recycling Isnt Actually Recycling. 2015-2023 Greentumble. 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. 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. Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. Come with external costs 9. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. Summary: Reduce your use of single-use plastics. Plastic utensils are convenient and straws are fun for kids, but much of that plastic eventually winds up in a landfill or as litter. Plastic is not the largest contributor of pollution and the . The manufacturing of reusable bags or compostable alternatives to plastic bags offers a new opportunity to create sustainable products and provide jobs that go with them. LEAPE:There are two clear imperatives. We are a couple of environmentalists who seek inspiration for life in simple values based on our love for nature. Even if you can't go zero waste entirely, it's high time we all ended our reliance on single use plastics. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle's nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. Straws are notorious for being readily blown away by the wind. 5 Metals in your Home that can be Recycled for Cash, How exactly bidets offer a healthier, green option for your bathroom, A Closer Look at General Motors (GM) Sustainability Initiatives. 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. 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. Instead of searching for another buyer, maybe some soul-searching is in order. 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. The phthalate DEHP, as just one example from dozens, is often added to plastic goods like shower curtains and garden hoses to make them more flexiblebut was also found to be a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Have a look yourself to imagine the suffering of these animals. All rights reserved. Even when you dont see it, these indestructible particles are everywhere around us, including in the food chain. 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. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention. Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. Thats a promising start. Plastic straws are not the first iteration of straws. 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? According to the researchers, the turtle likely mistook the straw for food and swallowed it. This leaves few other alternatives other than plastic straws. 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]. 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. 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. About half the cost of making biodegradable polymers is the cost of feedstock. Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect absorption of some important trace elements (like iron) which we need for maintaining proper health [13]. These pieces can be so small that they are invisible to our eye. Plastic bag bansideally accompanied by a fee on paper bagsare also catching on. Straws make up roughly 4 percent of the plastic waste in terms of the number of pieces, but a far smaller percentage in terms of the weight.Due to the fact that the typical weight of a straw is just around one sixty-seventh of an ounce, or 42 grams, the total weight of all those billions of straws combined only accounts for roughly 2,000 tons of the almost 9 million tons of plastic debris that enters the sea each year. Disney is eliminating single-use plastic straws and stirrers at all its theme parks, resorts and properties. The decrease in demand for plastic bags forces manufacturers to reduce their production and consider expanding in a supply of alternative products. In fact, I just listed many reasons and points in this article that support both sides of the argument. 13.07.2022 Harry Brown THE TOP 10 REASONS TO DO NOT USE THE STRAW O This requires the usage of 500 million straws Straws and other items made of plastic are harmful Every day in the United States. Why? What can I do for you? 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. Do you wonder why? Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. Ill also go over whether or not plastic straw bans will actually help the environment, and explain everything else youll need to know. 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. Plastic bags are often mistaken for food by animals, birds, and marine life. What about you? If the environmental movement drew up a Most Unwanted list for 2018, the plastic drinking straw surely would land 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. So, retailers incorporate this cost hiddenly into prices of other items sold at stores. It means that most bags can be recycled. It is estimated that there are now 150 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean. 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. 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. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. Instead it ends up in landfills or in the environment. To align with global efforts, India banned single-use plastic items from July 1, 2022. Author: floridadep.gov. And the recent fracking boom, resulting in a surplus of oil, is fueling a subsequent rise in cracker plants, too. They are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in. The small pilot whale, found in a Thai canal this past June, is another symptom of a crisis in the worlds oceans. Here's a quick list of the ways plastic straws may be harming your health: 1. Paper straws cannot be recycled in any way. CRIDDLE:We need to think about what incentives will promote a culture of recycling and innovation with respect to waste streams. Over time, sun and heat slowly turn plastics into smaller and smaller pieces until they eventually become what are known as microplastics. 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. There were numerous cases of birds caught in plastic bags, unable to fly and feed, eventually strangling themselves to death. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11].

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