Should single use plastic be banned?

 

We use plastic bags and plastic packaging in our everyday lives. But can we replace the with  something else? More sustainable?  I'm talking about the most common plastic bags that you find at the grocery store, the LDPE (Low density polyethylene) bags. The pros to plastic bags is that they are always available and cheap. That's about it. The cons to plastic bags are that they break easily, you can only reuse them about 17 times until they break and go into landfills. They are not biodegradable, they take thousands of years to decompose. Just like many other plastics they pollute our oceans and get into animal habitats and harm the animals. The cons overpower the pros by far. Reusable bags are the way to go, there are many types of reusable bags but the best type is the ones you already have instead of buying more. The second best is cotton bags. Single use plastic is like plastic silverware, plastic packaging, plastic water bottles.

While some cities have already banned plastic straws like Malibu, Berkeley, Seattle, and Miami beach. Places like California have a plastic bag tax of 10 cents per plastic bag, encouraging people to use more reusable bags. It has been shown that it reduced plastic bag usage by 85%.

But should we ban all single use plastic?? 

I think that banning single use plastic and companies using more renewable resources to package products and such. But of course medical gloves and medical plastic straws that help people eat should not be banned.

QUESTIONS

Should the us ban single use plastic?

Should iowa have a plastic bag tax?

Do you think that singe use plastic harms animals environments and oceans??

 

SOURCES

https://blogs.nicholas.duke.edu/env212/the-power-of-the-plastic-bag-tax-by-chloe-meyers/#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20make%20the,place%20to%20combat%20plastic%20pollution.

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101#corporations

“5 Reasons Why Plastic Pollution Stinks.” Factory Direct Promos, 6 June 2018, www.factorydirectpromos.com/blog/5-reasons-why-plastic-pollution-stinks/.

“Are Reusable Bags Better than Plastic Bags?” Ethique, ethique.com/blogs/diy-guides/are-reusable-bags-better-than-plastic-bags.

“Plastic Bags and the Environment.” Bag the Ban, 26 June 2020, www.bagtheban.com/learn-the-facts/environment/#:~:text=ENERGY SAVINGS: Plastic bags require,than plastic bags in landfills.

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Replies

  • I don't think that it is necessary for the U.S. to ban plastic. Plastic is used in all sorts of ways in the world. It's a big thing, and banning this would be a major change for everybody. If we use plastic in an unresponsible way and throw it out so it gets harms the ocean and the animal's environment, then it harms the environment. If we are responsible then we should not have to ban single-use plastic. 

  • I don't think that the US should can the use of plastic. Plastic is in many products and different things around us. I do think that the government should find a more sustainable option or try to reduce plastic as much as they can but not ban it. I agree that plastic harmns animals and their environment. 

  • I don't think banning something as big as plastic would go over well. It is used way to much and people count on it way to much for it to be banned. I think we use plastic more than we even think we do. It might be good for the environment, but it is used way to much for it all to be banned.

  • I think that single use plastic should be banned but won't be banned. I think this becase if the government really cared about the environment we wouldn't have this conversation anyway. I feel like if there was a tax on plastic bags it would bring down lots of buisnesses.

  • I think that trying to ban something as big as signle use plastic would be very dificult to do because it is used everyday. I think that a tax would be easier to convience people to do and easier to enforce. I think that it does harm the environment but agian will be very dificult to change.

  • I think that the U.S. should definitely ban single use plastic. Too much pollution is being caused by single use plastics like bags and containers. I think that going back to glass would be more beneficial for this planet. Also, I don't know if Iowa should have a tax, but rather a ban.

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