Enforcing a Ban on Plastic: Unraveling The Case for It

For every two people, one pound of plastic waste is born. For the world sustaining about 7 billion people, and counting, imagine the amount of plastic waste devastating our oceans and ruining lives. To preserve our planet and all life it supports, action towards the cause to place a ban on plastic bags has been in motion and a handful of states have already acted upon it. Plastic, being a non-biodegradable material, has harmed not only poor animals but humans as well. Directly due to the effects of plastic on the health of the environment and our own well being, ban on plastic bags should be enforced and in this essay its benefits are revealed. Plastic is a detriment to the Earth with its non-biodegradable build and is a leading danger to marine life.

Hidden Threats of Plastic Bags for the Earth

Moving right into one of the main reasons plastic poses such a threat to the ecosystem, plastic’s chemical composition does not allow for the material to be broken down easily. Wilson states, “Plastic does not biodegrade in a meaningful if even comprehensible timeframe”. So what does this mean for our Earth? This means that whatever plastic produced today will not be leaving anytime soon. Consequently, the ecosystem will have to bear the “significant amount [plastic] of which will end up in our oceans”. With plastic’s non-biodegradable composition in mind, the rate at which humans manufacture and consume plastic must be taken into moderation, as “the more plastic will come into the world and accumulate in landfills, on land, in rivers, and the sea”. By banning plastic bags, the amount of plastic regulated in the United States would be managed in a most efficient and ecosystem friendly way. In effect of the ban, the amount of destructive material floating in oceans would be reduced, for the benefit of future generations.

Beyond being non-biodegradable, a second threat posed by plastic is a peril aimed at animals, specifically, sea animals. Every year, we produce “nearly 300 million tons of plastic” which ultimately winds up in oceans and seas. Seabirds and sea turtles, whose species are found with “plastic in more than 60% of all seabirds and 100% of sea turtles”, are usually the most heavily affected among the sea creature victims of plastic pollution, where a hefty measure of the plastic waste out at sea are plastic bags. Besides being an endangering hazard to sea creatures, ironically, the plastic waste we produce can also harm our health. As Ritschel points out, “Brits who consume fish are at a risk of consuming 11,000 fragments of plastic each year”. Those who are dependent on seafood consume plastic through eating fish that have ingested the plastic waste in the ocean. What should be gathered from this concept is not only do we harm other lives by being environmentally inconsiderate, but we also inversely harm ourselves. For this reason, if we choose to favor reusable bags over plastic bags, we do ourselves and wildlife a huge favor.

In contrary to the belief that the plastic bag ban will be beneficial, many argue against the move to enforce this law. One justification argues that reusable fabric bags pose safety risks to the food carried inside. Behm discusses that fabric bags “ can be quick to absorb messes, leading to undesirable odors and potential for bacteria growth”. Apart from being a safer choice, some argue that plastic bags are just simply more convenient. Why bother to always remember to carry your own bag to the grocery store? Additionally, having to purchase a plastic bag if one forgets to bring their own becomes an aggravation for many. In response to these arguments, one simply must lose to gain. The “plastic in landfills, on land, in rivers, and in the sea” damaging our planet is not worth a small inconvenience or a couple of cents to purchase a plastic bag. On top of being a hazard to the planet, Wilson explains that recycling companies actually only recycle “fewer than 1%” of the plastic bags they receive. In reality, although one may recycle plastic, it will most likely end up back at a landfill. In short, although there are setbacks to the plastic bag ban, it is worth the inconvenience to save the planet.

Conclusion

Considering all points listed, enforcing the plastic bag ban will be the most beneficial choice, between the options of administering a ban or not. Regarding that plastic is non-biodegradable and harmful to not only wildlife, but humans, movement towards attempts in reducing plastic waste should be strongly embraced. Living on this planet, we must take good care of it so that life can continue to prosper for generations to come. Although a small advance, starting a move against the usage of plastic bags will drive change for our world. So go ahead, and start the cleanse of our world through the small part of leaving plastic bags behind. 

References

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2. Teuten, E. L., Saquing, J. M., Knappe, D. R., Barlaz, M. A., Jonsson, S., Björn, A., ... & Takada, H. (2009). Transport and release of chemicals from plastics to the environment and to wildlife. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1526), 2027-2045. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0284

3. Eriksen, M., Lebreton, L. C., Carson, H. S., Thiel, M., Moore, C. J., Borerro, J. C., ... & Reisser, J. (2014). Plastic pollution in the world's oceans: More than 5 trillion plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tons afloat at sea. PloS One, 9(12), e111913. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111913

4. Carson, H. S., Colbert, S. L., Kaylor, M. J., & McDermid, K. J. (2013). Small plastic debris changes water movement and heat transfer through beach sediments. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 70(1-2), 25-29. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.02.033

5. Baliño, B. M., Tsang, Y. F., De Silva, R. M., & Ok, Y. S. (2020). Plastic pollution: A review of possible biomarkers for plastics in the environment. Environmental Pollution, 259, 113826. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113826

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6. United Nations Environment Programme. (2022). Plastic Pollution: A Global Overview. Retrieved from https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/41250/singleUsePlastic2022.pdf