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Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. Recycling more plastic, more frequently, reduces its footprint. There is only one requirement these plastic bags need to be dry and clean, otherwise they contaminate the entire batch and your effort will do more harm than good. 1. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Your email address will not be published. What never leaves, Read More Sustainable Diving & Snorkeling: How to Prevent Damage to Marine EcosystemsContinue, Top 3 Ways Kids can Help the Earth! No! In my opinion, plastic straws should not be banned outright, because many disabled people require plastic straws to drink. So, plastic waste only speeds up the destruction of these most biodiverse ecosystems on earth. The very best alternative is a reusable bag. JIM LEAPE: Our oceans are currently swimming with plastics. This form of ban could lead to a reduction in landfill across the country, going a long way to protect the nature and serenity of the area. Plastic is putting a strain on waste management systems, our oceans, and vulnerable communities the world over. This is because the customers voluntarily reduce their consumption of plastic bags, which in turn provides enough time for retailers to find suitable alternatives and switch to them. 4. An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. Why is plastic bad for the environment? If environmental zealots and sycophants get their way, you won't be allowed to sip it through a plastic straw. | | Plastic use costs approximately $75 billion a year [16]. If plastic straws are completely banned, local small businesses like boba tea shops will have to look for pricier alternatives. The trend has already started. 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. But single-use plastics come with a steep environmental priceone that well be paying off for millennia. And, if you dont like wearing the same shirt or pants, Read More Dont wash it if it doesnt look dirtyContinue, At age 50, Kay is a little over halfway through her life as a driver. Since their birth, baby turtles have only one goal to get to the sea and swim into deep waters where they will feed and if successful grow into adult turtles. They contribute to the contamination of our landfills and seas when they are discarded after use. Over time, sun and heat slowly turn plastics into smaller and smaller pieces until they eventually become what are known as microplastics. The decrease in demand for plastic bags forces manufacturers to reduce their production and consider expanding in a supply of alternative products. We should do likewise. 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. But a whopping 91 percent of all plastic isnt recycled at all. In New York, 23 billion plastic bags are used by residents each year. Single use plastics wreak havoc on wildlife and the earth. Globally, 8 to 10 percent of our current oil supply goes to a plastic bag manufacture [4]. Unfortunately, such a high level of pollution doesnt come without consequences. You could either discuss with a store manager a possibility of bringing your own containers for these products. Why? Once in the ocean, plastic pollution is extremely dangerous to marine life, and plastic straws are no exception. 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 (Source: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment), Stanford scientists are among a growing number of researchers harnessing artificial intelligence techniques to bring more realistic representations of ubiquitous atmospheric ripples into global climate models. A straw with our iced coffee, a plastic bag to carry our takeout, a wrapper on a candy bar: taken individually, each seems harmless. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Criddle and Leape are also senior fellows at theStanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Plastic straws only account for roughly one percent of the total amount of waste plastic found in the ocean. There are many uses for plastic that are not only reasonable but important, such as surgical gloves, or straws for people with disabilities. When the monsoon rains start, streets get waterlogged just after the first few minutes because the water cannot pass through clogged sewerage pipes. Communities with good awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags have been more successful at enforcing the ban [20]. While an extra two cents may not seem like a lot, it could make a difference for some businesses that depend on plastic straws. It is possible to enhance ones risk of developing cavities by using a straw while consuming liquids that are either sweet or acidic. 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? Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in the mid-19th century, it wasnt until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed. This means that the average consumption of plastic bags per person dropped from 328 bags per year to just 21 [20]. 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. 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. Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. If it looks clean, smells clean (and sounds clean! 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. Individual actions can lead to collective actions. What is the root of the problem (consumers or municipal waste management)? Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The first answer to this question that comes to everyones mind is to stop using plastic bags, right? Sea turtles are not the only species suffering from plastic bag pollution of the environment. female pomeranian temperament; splinterlands terms and conditions; carbon emissions data by company; ( ) + . 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. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option. The cashier usually understands, only had to do what instructed and what most customers expect (unfortunately) from him or her. This ban has led to an increase in the demand for sustainable plastic alternatives and has also created space for several plant-based materials in the market. You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. Have some dirty clothes that you just wore today? Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. They are tinier than a palm of your hand and appear so fragile when struggling across the beach to make it to the sea. Have you ever seen endangered sea turtles hatch? What do the bans accomplish? Plastic bags have become such a nuisance because we as consumers use them excessively even when not needed and authorities havent figured out effective ways of dealing with them as waste. This way, disabled people can continue to be served, while also reducing the number of plastic straws that we use. Oene Moedt-Foto Natura/Minden via National Geographic Images, Major Corporations and Single-Use Plastics, secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and research has suggested that human exposure, 4.8 million and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic, one of the most greenhouse gasintensive industries in the manufacturing sector, could reach 1.34 gigatons per year by 2030, an audit of plastic pollution along coastlines. Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. Theyre in about a quarter of the seafood in our markets, and even in table salt. For example, millions of discarded plastic bags clog water drainage channels and sewers in urban areas of Bangladesh. (Some places are going so far as to ban single-use plastics entirely; most notably, India intends to go this route by 2022.) Coca-Cola makes an estimated 110 billion plastic bottles a year. If there is one piece of advice that everyone should remember, it would be that nothing is for free in this world. Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. Not only is plastic estimated to kill millions of marine animals and seabirds each year, but its also contaminating seafood that humans have relied on for millennia, particularly with microplastics in animals guts. 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. 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. Most plastic straws are made from harsh chemicals making them impossible to reuse or recycle. As a result, the actual recycling rate for plastic bags globally is between 5 to 15 percent, while in the United States it makes only 1 percent a year [17]. Some experts estimate that more than 1 million sea animals are killed each year by straws and other types of plastic trash. As it turns out, many microorganisms make moldable bioplastic polymers that are fully degradable. In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11]. Ultimately, we can further decrease costs and achieve economies of scale through decentralized production systems and perhaps also at large biorefineries. In 2015 researchers from the University of Georgia estimated that between 4.8 million and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic per year make their way into the oceans via people living within 30 miles of a coast. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste. While we may not pay for plastic bags directly when we go shopping, they are anything but free.. Single-use plastics are a glaring example of the problems with throwaway culture. Better alternatives are available 10. As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention.