Say No to Plastic Straws: Why We Need to Act Now - Essay Sample

Introduction

Plastics are part of human beings' daily lives. According to Gibbens (1), Starbucks, Bon Appétit Management, Alaska Airlines, and McDonald's have plans of phasing out the plastic straws. In the United States, about 500 million straws are utilized daily. On a recently conducted study, about 8.3 billion straws (plastic) pollute the beaches of the world (Romero Mosquera 11). Yearly, 8 million plastic tons flow in the oceans, and 0.025% of them are plastics straws (Gibbens 1). However, despite the figures, it has not stopped a significant focus on environmental campaigns. The main reason is that most of the able-bodied individuals can do without straws easily. Therefore, in order to efficiently do away with straws, it needs people to change their behaviors.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Thesis

Although plastic straws are good as they make drinking easy and fun, they have a negative impact on marine wildlife and oceans.

Main Argument/Position

Plastic straws should be banned. Plastic straws should be banned and not be used any longer, especially in food chains. Because plastic straws are so easily disposable, they fill the ocean causing many sea creatures to die from suffocation. Humans overconsume plastics, plastics are non-biodegradable, and they dispose of them improperly, which has highly increased the issue of ocean and waterways pollution across the globe. In the central ocean, gyres plastics have been found, and since about 500 million straws are used by Americans daily (Romero Mosquera 6). Furthermore, plastic straws are lightweight, which means that most of them are not recycled, and they end up polluting the oceans and further killing marine life.

Because there are reusable straws that people can buy at a reasonable price, there is no need for plastic straws. Instead of using plastic straws, people can use other types of straws, such as reusable straws, made from bamboo. The reusable bamboo straws are sustainable and eco-friendly as compared to the plastic straws, and they are made without using any harmful chemicals or even pesticides (Shine 229). Therefore, bamboo straws should be introduced in most of the restaurants in doing away with plastic straws.

Because there are other methods to enjoy beverages, there is no necessity for straws. Most people find plastic straws convenient, especially when they grab a quick fountain drink. However, mentioned earlier to purchase numerous reusable straws are beneficial to the environment. Also, consumers can choose to carry their cups or bottles to contain beverages instead of using plastic straws.

Summary of Opposition

Plastic should not be banned since it is easy, fun, and sanitary to utilize as compared to the other alternatives. The reusable straws that are proposed to be used, such as the ones made from bamboo, might pose some health risks to the consumers. Thus, consumers prefer using the plastic straws that they use and dispose of. Also, plastic straws give consumers the chance to reduce disease transmission. Healthwise, they are also good as they can help in protecting people against cavities.

Banning plastic straws is not the best option as it will not help in reducing pollution. Other items contribute to environmental pollution apart from plastic straws. Instead, governments should slow the corrupting food chain and plastic fouling oceans. For instance, bottles and even other plastic items are made from polythene terephthalate, and only a little material is brought back for reuse or reprocessing. Plastic straws only form a small fraction of plastic ending up in the oceans. It means that banning it will not provide a significant benefit to the environment by reducing pollution or protecting marine life.

Follow-Up Argument/Rebuttal to Opposition

Although the plastic straws are indeed easy, fun, and sanitary to use as compared to the other types of straws, the health risk that they pose is higher. Some of the health risks that are associated with plastic straws include developing wrinkles, tooth decay, staining of teeth, and subjecting the body to chemicals. The alternative straws that are recommended are eco friendly, which means that they will not pollute the environment even if they might not be fun to use.

I agree that banning plastic straws is not the best option for preventing pollution as it forms only a small fraction of the things that pollute the environment and pose a negative impact on marine life. It is true, but to make a significant step, one has to start by doing small things, which in this case, is banning plastic straws. If the plastic straws are banned, there will be no 0.025% plastic straws contributing to pollution.

Conclusion

Although plastic straws are good as they make drinking easy and fun, they have a negative impact on marine wildlife and oceans. People can opt to use alternative straws such as reusable bamboo straws, which are ecofriendly and affordable or even enjoy beverages using other means cups. On the other hand, banning plastics straws might not be a good idea since they are fun to use, and they only form a small fraction. Plastics straws may form a small fraction, but banning them will play a significant role in saving marine life. Therefore, plastic straws should be banned.

Works Cited

Gibbens, Sarah. “A Brief History of How Plastic Straws Took over the World.” Plastic Straw Bans Are Spreading: Here's How They Took over the World, National Geographic, 3 Jan. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/07/news-plastic-drinking-straw-history-ban/.

Romero Mosquera, Marcela. "Banning Plastic Straws: The Beginning of the War Against Plastics." Environmental and Earth Law Journal (EELJ) 9.1, 2019: 1.

Shine, Tara. How to Save Your Planet One Object at a Time. Simon and Schuster, 2020.