6461 garfield street hollywood, fl. There are numerous reasons why PLA straws are not the right substitute for plastic straws . Have some dirty clothes that you just wore today? Participate in beach or river cleanups. In New York, 23 billion plastic bags are used by residents each year. Some Disabled People Require Plastic Straws to Drink For some people with disabilities, straws are the only way they can drink. Plastic straws (like most plastic) are non-biodegradable, meaning that it cant be naturally broken down by decomposers. 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. A last example of a true horror caused by plastic has been discovered just recently. 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. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. Ideally, to be suitable for recycling, bags need to be clean to be accepted, which is often a problem, considering that we use them to carry groceries and potentially leaky goods. You should examine what alternatives are available and whether local retailers, who often operate with a limited monthly budget, have the ability to make the switch. 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. 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. 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. Look around and you will notice that plastic bags are the most common litter. Juan Cristobal Cobo/Bloomberg via Getty Images. Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect absorption of some important trace elements (like iron) which we need for maintaining proper health [13]. Harmful to human health 6. Plastic bags. Alternatives to plastic straws, such as paper, may not always be effective for disabled people: paper can be bitten through or broken easily. 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. As plastic bags are not disposed properly . Increased awareness about the negative effects of single-use plastics would help the environment a lot more than just a simple plastic straw ban. How Plastic Bottles Become Death Traps for Hermit Crabs. 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. Criddle has evaluated use of microorganisms to biodegrade plastic materials and to synthesize biodegradable bioplastics from waste feedstocks. 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. 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. How? Paper straws cannot be recycled in any way. According to a 2017 study, more than half of non-fiber plastic, which excludes synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, comes from plastic packaging alone, much of which is for single-use items. Additionally, awareness raising campaigns create a social pressure that should inspire local government and institutions to help in making changes at a bigger scale, like a regional ban or levy. 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. InCalifornia, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. 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]. For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. What do the bans accomplish? Animals living in the ocean might frequently confuse the plastic for food. The consumed plastic congests the digestive tracts of these animals, and can lead to health issues such as infections, painful intestinal blockage, starvation or death by suffocation. In fact, plastic straws only make up around 0.03 percent of total plastic waste by mass. In addition, despite the fact that the FDA has deemed this to be safe for consumption, chemicals from the plastic may seep into liquids, releasing substances that have the potential to influence estrogen levels. This amount of marine life, which includes fish and turtles, is sufficient to fill 125 school buses. The inaccuracy of this number calls into doubt the veracity of the overall case against using plastic straws as a drinking implement. This means that you need to first educate yourself about the problem. The country instituted the ban in 2013 to minimize livestock deaths. 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. Why? Left alone, plastics dont really break down; they just break up. The second, more fundamental imperative is to get plastics out of our waste stream. 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? 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. Divers, for example, descend 130 feet under the water, seek unique-looking creatures, and observe the marine world in all its glory. Its because Asian and US coastlines release large amounts of plastic waste in the ocean [7]. Even if you can't go zero waste entirely, it's high time we all ended our reliance on single use plastics. 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. (Some places are going so far as to ban single-use plastics entirely; most notably, India intends to go this route by 2022.) Leape has long been a leader in ocean conservation efforts. Marine animals bear the burden of this influx of garbage into their habitats. 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. There are some great initiatives that strive to provide jobs for women in rural communities with limited possibilities of securing monthly income. Plastic bags are often mistaken for food by animals, birds, and marine life. Summary: Reduce your use of single-use plastics. Scientists are showing that we are sending tons of tiny plastic particles into our soils each year, potentially affecting crops and our health. 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. Plastic straws have an especially high propensity to end up in our rivers after being thrown away. PLASTIC STRAWS CANT BE BROKEN DOWN BY NATURE. If it looks clean, smells clean (and sounds clean! Because of this, the plants and wildlife in the area have a potential risk of absorbing the microplastics through their diets and drinking water. Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. Items made of plastic that come into contact with food can be recycled, whereas products made of paper that absorb both food and garbage cannot. What can I do for you? 10 reasons why plastic straws should be banned. 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. However, we are all too familiar with situations when a cashier automatically puts your items in a plastic bag before you can oppose it. How can you help to ban plastic bags in your area? The production of these bags is very energy intensive. Banning straws may confer 'moral license' allowing companies and their customers to feel they have done their part. They are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials. Not easy to recycle 7. We should just stick to plastic. We do not know the full impact of microplastics exceeding the mass of plankton in the ocean. We use them to drink beverages at home and we get them at almost every restaurant. It started with cardboard straws, but once plastic production in America increased, people realized it was quicker and cheaper to produce plastic straws. Straws, Ives says, made the perfect target: too inconsequential to really be missed but so ubiquitous that their absence would be noticed. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go. 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. This includes grocery plastic bags, Ziplock-type bags, dry cleaning bags and bread bags. Fortunately, microorganisms can also use cheap, renewable substrates, such as food wastes, biogas methane, carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen. A recent report showed that plastic production contributes to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions at every point in its life cycle. Many of you may have heard it already. More and more states are looking to pass a new kind of recycling law that asks manufacturers to foot the bill for the waste created by their products. Straws made of plastic contribute to the pollution of our seas and streams. There were numerous cases of birds caught in plastic bags, unable to fly and feed, eventually strangling themselves to death. An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. Facebook; Contact Now . Is the Tide Turning on Our Plastic Addiction? Which brings us to the second part. America Needs a Plastics Intervention. Each year on two far-flung Australian islands, more than half a million hermit crabs die after becoming trapped inside our plastic waste. New research shows their prolific dam building benefits river water quality so much, it outweighs the damaging influence of climate-driven droughts. (Everything You Need To Know). Dont re-wash something if you can wear it again. Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option. Thoughtful laws are needed to control the problem and at the same time encourage innovation. edinburgh airport address. According to a study carried out in 2013, up to 35 percent of turtle deaths were caused by plastic ingestion and the probability that sea turtles will consume even more plastic increases every year [9]. Straws are said to be one of the top 10 objects recovered during beach clean-ups by the Ocean Conservancy. Made from petroleum products, Baekland's " bakelite " plastic was a revolutionary material. 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. Interestingly, these granules contain the seeds of their own destruction: enzymes that break the polymer down when it is needed for food. India, for example, generates 25,940 tons of plastic waste every day but collects only 60 percent of it. Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. Her Stand-Up Paddleboard Is a Platform for Campaigning Against Plastic Pollution, A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields. Reduce Aesthetic value of your neighborhood. Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. Plastics bags are not so much necessary that man cannot live without it. Prior the ban, 70 percent of livestock losses were attributed to plastic bag ingestion. "To us, it was the 'gateway plastic' to the larger, more . Getting rid of a single plastic straw may not have a very large effect on the environment. . 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. 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. In fact, I just listed many reasons and points in this article that support both sides of the argument. Straws made of paper are neither recyclable nor capable of decomposition. Plastic straws are also the 6th most common trash item found during ocean cleanups. Theyve even made their way up to the secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. But the sheer amount of plastic waste inundates communities until they are drowning under thousands of tons of plastic trash. Though plastica chain of synthetic polymers, essentiallywas invented in. Plastic is more sanitary and safer to use than other alternatives. 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. Thus, plastic straws cant be recycled. Quick Navigation for Reasons Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Banned REASONS 1. CRIDDLE:We need to think about what incentives will promote a culture of recycling and innovation with respect to waste streams. Many people with disabilities rely on flexible straws to drink safely and independently. We are a couple of environmentalists who seek inspiration for life in simple values based on our love for nature. (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. This type of plastic is derived from petroleum. You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. According to market research firms, Americans use about 350 million plastic straws every single day. But this comes along with many unanswered questions. When you sip beverages through a straw you end up inhaling more air into your belly than you would otherwise. This is the case particularly in Southeast Asia, which has begun to import much of the plastic that used to go to China for recycling. If this happens, there are a few scenarios you can follow: The best thing you can do with those old plastic bags that have been stashed in that overflowing drawer in your kitchen is to recycle them. As part of the Break Free From Plastic movement, Greenpeace volunteers conducted an audit of plastic pollution along coastlines, sifting through tens of thousands of individual pieces across 42 countries to identify the pollutions sources.