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Benefits/ drawbacks of reducing (banning) single-use of plastics
Single-use of plastics is often described as the one-time use and disposal or recycling of plastics such as straws, bottles, bags and other common types of packaging. As much of these plastics are designed to be thrown away or disposed of after use. Banning and reducing single-use of plastics is made possible by the adoption of bans and levies by governments policies on the production of the plastics with the aim of replacing them with more environmentally friendly alternatives (Lambert, Scott, and Wagner, 6870). The advantages of the single-use of plastics recorded are undeniable thus the reducing and banning of single-use plastics is set to weigh on drawbacks. The effects of single plastics usage impact both the environment and the living creatures. Through their impact on society, the benefits and drawbacks of single-use of plastic papers are evaluated. As much as it is easily disposable, majority of the single-use plastic takes years to decompose, they are easily available and cheap a factors that make their usage more common in various places (Bartolotta & Hardy).
In the year 2008 according to UN a report generated by global analyst’s industry, 260 million tons was the world’s plastic consumption rate. The benefits and drawbacks are evident with most literature and research recording more benefits arising from banning single-use of plastics due to its effects as related to drawbacks. This paper sets to evaluate countries worldwide with a focus on the 68 countries that decided to adopt the banning and regulation of plastic paper usage. Benefits of single-use of plastic highlighted include cheap packaging, 40 per cent of the world packaging rely on the single-use plastics whose pollution causes are termed to be unnecessary as this resource’s pollution effective are becoming unsustainable (Bartolotta et. al). The benefits draw from single-use of plastics in the world agenda of fighting hunger and famine, the single-use of plastic come in handy as they help keep food protected and fresh for a longer period of time. Thus the banning of this miracle material will imply that foods will not be preserved effectively leading to wastages thus increasing the stains of hunger. The banning of the use of paper has seen countries record high numbers of unemployment as plastic producing companies shut down as a result of the banning legislation aimed at checking and controlling the unnecessary disposal and consumption of plastics (Romer, Jennie Reilly, 439). These companies, however, have developed mechanisms to restore operation with a shift to developing non-replaceable plastics.
The elimination of plastics is essential as it can help shoppers lower their prices helping shoppers in saving. shoppers can save $18 to $ 30 annually as it would see into a reduction in the cost of goods (Bartolotta et. al). The banning of plastics helps in reducing litter and lowering the pollution levels as these plastics are non- biodegradable, their disposal would mean litter and more pollution. Rwanda developed sanctions and hefty penalties on the usage of plastics and as a result, it is regarded as the cleanest city in the world (Danielsson, Michaela). A study that was carried by a group from a Western university in Ontario developed a conclusion that single use of plastics should be banned upon assessing plastic pollution and its mitigation in Lake Harun. The findings were regarded as a sample of the general population in other water bodies. Plastics banning was developed as a long term solution to help combat the unnecessary use and disposable of the plastics. The effect of banning would suggest that people’s daily routine would be interrupted resulting to change with customers being advised on the usage of reusable bags or even reusing plastics. The scientific studies carried have indicated over 5 trillion bags with an average weight of 250,000 tons are today floating of oceans thus competing and choking marine life which is a crucial element in the world food chain elements (Lambert, Scott, and Wagner, 6870). Planktons in the marine form a source of food for seeing animals and produces oxygen for land animals as a byproduct and with the floating plastics blocking sunrays essential for their growth has led to the death of hundreds and thousands of marine animals, sea birds among others. 86 per cent of turtles, 44 per cent of marine birds, and 43 per cent of marine mammals have plastic in their guts (Xanthos, Dirk, and Tony R. Walker, 64). In business, the ban on single-use paper can lead to an enhanced economy as more opportunities for employment are developed in the creation and development of reusable bags manufacturers. The ban will ensure efficient growth and development of marine life. As a result, the drainage clogged by plastics will significantly reduce thus ensuring drainage systems run effectively avoiding floods. The reduction of plastic bags who essential cause breeding of diseases such as malaria will see a reduction in the breeding as the breeding grounds are discarded upon the limitation of use of the bags(Suhail).
With no doubt single-use plastics has in modern life become a major source of pollution hence calls for a well-legislated ban on almost all these products are a good idea. The debate in which we can live without them, there has been a debate of smart ways to replace plastic use, as the application of metal straws, using of wood made cutlery, developing glass bottles and even use of canvas and muslin bags Lambert, Scott, and Wagner, 6870). The approach to ban and introduce levies in order to reduce the single-use of plastics is informed from the vast environment effects and pollution affecting the world, these materials have at times led to blocking of drainage that causes flooding thus allowing breeding of diseases. This essay evaluation is aimed at informing the users who mostly are the governments on the perks around benefits and drawbacks of banning the single-use of paper. Although their due to lack of enough monitoring there are no conclusive information to ascertain the impacts of banning and levies measures of the assessment and evaluation analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of the banning of single-use of plastics in controlling the rate of environment pollutions shows a huge benefit for people and the environment that seeks to avert pollution crisis with the reduction or banning being a painless but profitable initiative (Suhail).
Recycling of plastic only encourages the production of more single-use plastics making the current situation worse thus not a viable idea to develop or even validate. It is recorded that only 7-18 per cent of the world plastic used to make it to recycling. With recycling and cleaning costs being shifted to taxpayers (Romer, Jennie Reilly,439). With a few positive impacts evaluated by the essay as compared to the negative costs single-use plastic has. The paper can conclusively recommend the effecting of banning and other levies to help combat the single-use of plastics menace. The evaluation of the essay may, however, be out of balance as the plastics under study are not the problem but rather the focus should be on how the people choose to use the plastics and what they do with it. Which illustrates that it is should be left for the people to decide in smarter ways what they ought to do with the plastics (Foster et al, 1392). The evaluation should also help to enhance or focus on other actions to be pursued in efforts to reduce single-use of plastics rather than banning. Other methods can include the development of waste management systems through enhancing technology (Schnurr, Riley EJ, et al, 158)
Works cited
Analysts, Global Industry. “Plastics: A Global Outlook.” San Jose, CA: GIA (2012).
Bartolotta, Jill, Scott Hardy, and Susan Bixler. “Partners in Plastic Reduction.” (2019).
Danielsson, Michaela. “The plastic bag ban in Rwanda: local procedures and successful outcomes.” (2017).
Foster, Stephen, Ricardo Hirata, and Bartolome Andreo. “The aquifer pollution vulnerability concept: aid or impediment in promoting groundwater protection?” Hydrogeology Journal 21.7 (2013): 1389-1392.
Lambert, Scott, and Martin Wagner. “Environmental performance of bio-based and biodegradable plastics: the road ahead.” Chemical Society Reviews 46.22 (2017): 6855-6871.
Romer, Jennie Reilly. “The evolution of San Francisco’s plastic-bag ban.” Golden Gate U. Envtl. LJ 1 (2007): 439.
Schnurr, Riley EJ, et al. “Reducing marine pollution from single-use plastics (SUPs): A review.” Marine pollution bulletin 137 (2018): 157-171.
Suhail, Obed. “Plastic pollution.” (2018).
Xanthos, Dirk, and Tony R. Walker. “International policies to reduce plastic marine pollution from single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads): a review.” Marine pollution bulletin 118.1-2 (2017): 17-26.
