3 Jan 2023

200

Should Single-Use Plastic Bags Be Banned?

Format: APA

Academic level: College

Paper type: Coursework

Words: 570

Pages: 2

Downloads: 0

Single-use plastic bags are bags that are made primarily from petrochemicals and are meant to be disposed of once they have been used. Single-use plastic bags are often used for packaging. Since the manufacture of plastics skyrocketed in the 20 th century, billions metric tons of plastics have been produced. According to a study conducted by Geyer et al. (2017), much of the non-fiber plastic that is manufactured for packaging is for single-use items. Since these plastics are meant to be disposed of right after use, they are significantly polluting the majority of ecosystems. In fact, plastic pollution poses a serious threat to our planet’s health. This paper will discuss two opposing views on the issue of banning single-use plastics bags. 

Single-use plastics, which include single-use plastic bags, straws, and wrappers, are a glaring example of the problems with throwaway culture. The world largely relies on the manufacture of single-use plastic bags. As such, they were accumulating plastic waste at a staggering rate. According to the United Nations Environment (n.d), every year, the world produces 300 million tons of plastic. Much of this plastic waste comes from single-use items. Our addiction to single-use plastic bags has negative impacts on the planet’s health. It is polluting the majority of our ecosystems, which includes our rainforests and the world’s deepest ocean trenches. 

It’s time to jumpstart your paper!

Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.

Get custom essay

Single-use plastics are traditionally hard to recycle. Left alone, single-use plastics do not break down; they just break up into smaller pieces until they become microplastics. These microscopic plastic fragments may end up in the water. The waste may be eaten by wild animals and may eventually end up in our bodies. For humans, wildlife, and marine life, plastic waste can be very dangerous. When wild animals eat microplastics, the microscopic plastic fragments can accumulate inside an animal’s body/ This can lead to a number of health complications, such as fatal intestinal blockages and punctured organs. For humans, exposure to plastic could cause cancer, hormonal imbalances, and infertility. For marine life, re cent studies have found plastic in the stomachs of beached whales and guts of seabirds and turtles (Duncan et al., 2019; Parker, 2015). Due to their negative impact on wildlife, many people support the view that single-use plastic bags should be banned. 

In addition, single-use plastic bags have negative impacts on the climate. A study conducted by Hamilton et al. (2019) indicates that plastic production, which includes the production of single-use plastic bags, contributes to the planet-warming greenhouse gas emission. Sourcing materials for the manufacture of plastic involves drillings, which are associated with methane leaking and flaring. Refineries that use crude oil to manufacture plastics contribute significantly to greenhouse emissions due to their carbon output. If the manufacture of plastics continues unabated, its greenhouse gas emissions could increase significantly, negatively impacting the climate. As such, the production of single-use plastic bags should be banned. To sum up, single-use plastic bags have a negative impact on our health, ecosystems, health, climate. With this in mind, many people, especially environmentalists, support the view that the use and production of single-use plastic bags should be banned. 

However, other people hold an opposing view. First, they believe that plastic’s carbon footprint is better. A 2019 study by Bell shows that single-use plastic bags have half the carbon footprint of the cotton and paper bags. Thus, switching to biodegradable plastic bags would make the problem of plastic pollution worse. 

According to Bell (2019), single-use plastic bags cause 200 times less climate damage than reusable bags. Based on the findings of this research, single-use plastic bags produce less stress on the environment than paper or cotton bags. It is in this regard that some people hold the view that single-use plastic bags should not be banned. Weighing the pros and cons of banning single-use plastic bags, I support the view of banning single-use plastic bags. This is because the pros outweigh the cons. 

References 

Bell, K. (2019). Comparison of Environmental Impact of Plastic, Paper and Cloth Bags/Kirsty Bell, Suzie Cave.  Northern Ireland Assembly [Electronic resource].–Mode of access: http://www. niassembly. gov. uk/globalassets/documents/raise/publications/2011/environment/3611. pdf.–Date access 29

Duncan, E. M., Broderick, A. C., Fuller, W. J., Galloway, T. S., Godfrey, M. H., Hamann, M., ... & Santillo, D. (2019). Microplastic ingestion ubiquitous in marine turtles.  Global change biology 25 (2), 744-752. 

Geyer, R., Jambeck, J. R., & Law, K. L. (2017). Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made.  Science advances 3 (7), e1700782. 

Hamilton, L. A., Feit, S., Muffett, C., Kelso, M., Rubright, S. M., Bernhardt, C., ... & Labbé-Bellas, R. (2019). Plastic & Climate: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet.  Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)

Jambeck, J. R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T. R., Perryman, M., Andrady, A., ... & Law, K. L. (2015). Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean.  Science 347 (6223), 768-771. 

Illustration
Cite this page

Select style:

Reference

StudyBounty. (2023, September 17). Should Single-Use Plastic Bags Be Banned?.
https://studybounty.com/should-single-use-plastic-bags-be-banned-coursework

illustration

Related essays

We post free essay examples for college on a regular basis. Stay in the know!

Hurricanes and Global Warming

There is insufficient evidence that hurricanes and global warming are linked. In the contemporary world, the rate of greenhouse gas emissions has increased significantly with increasing industrialization. The...

Words: 296

Pages: 1

Views: 469

Animals Also Have Their Rights

Nick Jonas is a local animal officer who fights for the rights of animals. According to Mr. Jonas, animals, just like human beings, also have their rights which demand respect. In an interview regarding the doctrine...

Words: 249

Pages: 1

Views: 145

Environmental Pollution: Types and Effects

Environmental pollution is a global problem and its ability to influence the physiology of humans and their surrounding environment is detrimental and thus deserves attention. Descriptively, environmental pollution...

Words: 1174

Pages: 4

Views: 210

Poisonous Water from Flint River

Synopsis Water is life, but it is poison to over 99,000 people of Michigan. The economic condition of the people uses to thrive very well until General Motors downsized the plant forcing over 42% of the people in...

Words: 1425

Pages: 4

Views: 393

The Riddle of the Apostle Islands

Should Apostle Islands National Lakeshore become part of the National Wilderness Preservation System? To answer the question with the word "yes" is a means of avoiding the challenging riddles that concern the...

Words: 600

Pages: 2

Views: 170

Should Business Corporations Protect the Environment?

Every business corporation has the potential to influence environmental issues. A business organization should develop sustainable practices within its system to protect the environment for future generation....

Words: 1701

Pages: 3

Views: 162

illustration

Running out of time?

Entrust your assignment to proficient writers and receive TOP-quality paper before the deadline is over.

Illustration