Right now, millions or even possibly billions of people are using a paper straw. That little flimsy tube that begins dissolves the moment it hits the drink? No thanks. So, what happened to plastic straws?
Single-use plastic has been banned in many countries for a long time now. Plastic straws and plastic coffee stirrers have been banned in both India and the UK, and plastic bags were banned in Australia in 2018. In the US, states like Florida and California have plastic bans scattered throughout different cities.
This ban came from the problems that plastic waste causes for the environment; plastic made up for 12% of all waste globally in 2018, and plastic packaging made up for 141 million tons of the waste in 2015. However, are the other options really so much better?
Cardboard is one of the most common plastic alternatives. Unfortunately, it is not the best for food packaging. “Food can be damaged more easily in cardboard causing more food waste in transport, and it weighs much heavier [which] means in turn that more lorries are needed to carry the same quantity of product. Transport weighs heavily in the life cycle of food. In the end it often turns out to be more polluting to use cardboard wrapping than plastic, when the entire food production chain is taken into account.” says Romane Osadnik, an account manager at CITEO.
Glass is also a common option when comparing to plastic cups and plates. Although glass can be recycled infinitely through melting and molding, it barely saves any energy. Glass can be eco-friendly if it is recycled properly, but, in many cases, plastic is still a better choice due to the deficit of glass-collecting.
While it does have its flaws, plastic still has its benefits. It is cheap and can be reused, and perhaps if we find a sustainable way to regulate plastic waste, it can find a way to become viable again.
Sources: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220711-do-single-use-plastic-bans-work
Single-use plastic has been banned in many countries for a long time now. Plastic straws and plastic coffee stirrers have been banned in both India and the UK, and plastic bags were banned in Australia in 2018. In the US, states like Florida and California have plastic bans scattered throughout different cities.
This ban came from the problems that plastic waste causes for the environment; plastic made up for 12% of all waste globally in 2018, and plastic packaging made up for 141 million tons of the waste in 2015. However, are the other options really so much better?
Cardboard is one of the most common plastic alternatives. Unfortunately, it is not the best for food packaging. “Food can be damaged more easily in cardboard causing more food waste in transport, and it weighs much heavier [which] means in turn that more lorries are needed to carry the same quantity of product. Transport weighs heavily in the life cycle of food. In the end it often turns out to be more polluting to use cardboard wrapping than plastic, when the entire food production chain is taken into account.” says Romane Osadnik, an account manager at CITEO.
Glass is also a common option when comparing to plastic cups and plates. Although glass can be recycled infinitely through melting and molding, it barely saves any energy. Glass can be eco-friendly if it is recycled properly, but, in many cases, plastic is still a better choice due to the deficit of glass-collecting.
While it does have its flaws, plastic still has its benefits. It is cheap and can be reused, and perhaps if we find a sustainable way to regulate plastic waste, it can find a way to become viable again.
Sources: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220711-do-single-use-plastic-bans-work
