It is time for Americans to start becoming accountable for their non-biodegradable trash and the quantity in which they contribute to polluting the oceans with plastics, endangering aquatic animals and their habitats.
The Plastic Pollution Coalition advises plastic is a toxic compound that is found harmful to humans and the Earth’s ecosystems. Every bottle dropped on the beach or a child’s park is toxic trash.
When using plastic items on college campuses like plastic bottles, straws, spoons and forks, people need to understand the importance of where those items end up. They may seem small and unimportant, but these obscure objects are adding to America’s trash crisis.
Los Angeles Times reported the United States as the leading generator of the most trash at 624,700 metric tons per day.
To commemorate Earth Day, April 22, people should help spread awareness of the dangers of plastic trash that is not recycled properly.
A report by The Ocean Conservancy in 2017 said plastic bottles, bags, caps and straws were among top 10 items collected on the beach globally. The report shows 1.5 million plastic bottles and 409,000 straws and stirrers were collected in 2016.
California is taking gradual steps to push its communities into greener ecosystems. Single-use plastic bags were banned in August 2014 and Governor Jerry Brown extended the Cap and Trade to regulate pollution in July 2017. A new bill is on the horizon introduced by La Puente’s Democratic Assemblyman Ian Calderon in hopes of starting a conversation about the issue of trash.
Assembly Bill 1884 mandates single-use straws in California, making it illegal for restaurant servers to provide straws prior to them being requested. Therefore, if a guest does not ask for a straw there will be no straws provided. The bill is only extended to sit down restaurants, not bars and fast food restaurants.
To some, the idea of passing a bill about straws seems pointless and miniscule. However, this bill is a small step to raise awareness and break Californians of their dependency on plastic.
The New York Times provides an opposing view from Scott DeFife, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Plastic Industry Association, DeFife states “We, as a nation, are not alone going to solve our marine debris issues by banning straws in a restaurant.”
DeFife says the real issue is inadequate resources for waste management, an opposing argument which fails to see the underlying point of the movement: Awareness.
It comes as no surprise the plastic industry would kick back on such ideas considering the monetary loss they may incur with such changes. However, using fewer straws is not about money, the change is about cleaning 409,000 straws off of beaches.
In a 2017 online article by National Geographic a sea turtle is rescued to remove a large straw from it’s nasal cavity. These animals are suffering because of peoples’ careless use and disposal of plastic trash.
People should be aware that plastic is also harmful to humans. The Plastic Pollution Coalition says “toxic chemicals leach out of plastic are found in the bloodstream of all of us”. Exposure to such toxins is linked to cancers and birth defects.
When people pick up a plastic bottle or a straw they are responsible for recycling it. People should advocate for a cleaner earth starting in their home or classroom by going plastic free and raising awareness that plastic is killing the earth one sip at a time.
