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An enzyme that digests plastic could boost recycling

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An enzyme that digests plastic could boost recycling

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C n/a
R yes
A Auf Wiedersehen, PET
A no
P he takl about the bacter that eat plastic

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A MILLION plastic bottles are sold every minute. Many are not recycled and of those that are, only a small fraction become bottles again. That is, in part, because recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the polymer used to make such bottles, back into material robust enough to hold, say, a fizzy drink, is hard. What would be helpful is a way to break down PET into the chemicals that made it in the first place. These could then be used to make new high-grade PET.

This week John McGeehan of the University of Portsmouth, in Britain, and his colleagues report details of a bacterial enzyme called "PETase" that can do just that. Furthermore, they have engineered a version of this enzyme that can digest plastic faster than the natural variety. Their work is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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PETase is secreted by a plastic-munching bacterium called I deonella sakaiensis 201-F6. This bug was discovered in 2016 at a PET-bottle recycling plant in Sakai, Japan. The researchers behind its discovery showed that the enzyme degrades PET into mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalic acid (MHET). A second enzyme then breaks MHET down further, into terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol. The bacterium then uses these chemicals as food sources. The discoverers of PETase also suggested that it may have evolved from bacterial enzymes used to break down cutin, a waxy polymer that coats leaves. That is, in itself, remarkable-for PET has been used widely only since the 1970s, meaning that the enzyme must have evolved to do its job within the past 50 years.

I. sakaiensis digests PET far too slowly, however, to be of much use for industrial recycling of the plastic. To make it so requires understanding how the enzymes do their work. This is what Dr McGeehan and his colleagues set out to do. As MHET is far easier to break down by standard chemical means than PET, they focused on PETase.

They compared the DNA sequence of the PETase gene with that of cutinases from thousands of bacterial species, looking for differences. They then created new versions of PETase, each with one or more of its amino-acid building blocks changed to resemble those of ancestral cutinases.

As many of the differences between PETase and cutinases were, presumably, what allowed PETase to do its job, they expected these new enzymes to digest the plastic less efficiently. To their surprise, however, one of the engineered enzymes (with two amino acids mutated to be more cutinase-like) was able to digest PET about 20% faster than the natural one. That is a modest increase, but one that came about by accident rather than design. This, Dr McGeehan argues, shows there is plenty of scope for further improvement.

The team determined the structures of their enzymes by protein crystallography, a technique that takes detailed pictures of a molecule by bombarding crystals of it with X-rays (in this case, at the Diamond Light Source, a machine in Oxfordshire that produces particularly strong X-rays for such purposes). They then used computer modelling to look at how a molecule of PET might dock with the enzyme's active site-the region where the chemical reaction that breaks down the plastic actually occurs. The more-efficient enzyme they engineered appears to hold the plastic molecule more snugly in the active site than the naturally occurring version.

Interesting though all this is, there is still much to do before PETase can become a useful enzyme. At the moment, a litre of a solution of even the improved enzyme would break down just a few milligrams of plastic per day. Its plastic-digesting ability must therefore be improved by a hundredfold or more to be commercially useful.

This the team hopes to do, in part, by using clues from the enzyme's structure. Further improvements could come by designing the enzyme to work at temperatures above 70ºC, when PET becomes rubbery, and thus more easily digestible. Bacteria that live in hot springs, and that have cutinases that function at such temperatures, might be pressed into service here. The gene for the enzyme would also have to be transplanted into bacteria that can be grown easily at industrial scales. If these hurdles can be surmounted, though,PETase might make a dent in the scourge of plastic waste.

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An enzyme that digests plastic could boost recycling

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A MILLION plastic bottles are sold every minute. Many are not recycled and of those that are, only a small fraction become bottles again. That is, in part, because recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the polymer used to make such bottles, back into material robust enough to hold, say, a fizzy drink, is hard.

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 	ENTREPRENEURSHIP - BLOG How Blockchain Can Win the War Against Plastic Waste

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 	ENTREPRENEURSHIP - BLOG How Blockchain Can Win the War Against Plastic Waste

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C July 24, 2019
R yes
A n/a
A no
P she talkes about how plastic effect thew ocean

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Start-ups are making incremental use of blockchain to reduce plastic waste, but the technology's power to drive real change is yet to be realised.

It is always difficult for business executives to grasp when a new technology is ripe for use, and blockchain is no exception. This is ironic given blockchain is often presented as the "technology of trust".

Blockchains can be thought of as networks of virtual ledgers able to securely store and distribute data without a controlling intermediary. Unlike most digital technologies used to facilitate connectivity and duplicate processes, blockchain can tokenise, securely distribute and transfer anything of value to individuals on the network (such as a person's vote or their financial assets).

The ability to assign and transfer unique value to specific assets has proven particularly useful for helping new markets to emerge (e.g. Bitcoin and Ether) and is now being used to solve some of the most pressing global challenges.
Plastic packaging: turning waste into an asset
One crucial area in which blockchain may be pivotal in creating change is the growing plastic waste crisis. In 2019, economists estimated the level of plastic waste to be around 6.3 billion metric tonnes (mt) with a value of US$7.2 trillion. Around 90.5 percent of plastic ever made has never been recycled. At this rate, by 2050 we will have amassed roughly mt of plastic waste, enough to outweigh all the fish in the ocean, with an economic loss of more than US$14 trillion. Digital technologies - from social media to apps promoting recycling behaviours and nudging change - have significantly raised public awareness of the challenge. Litterati, for example, has created an app to share geolocalised pictures of waste tagged by brand and item type. The app has had many successes including public institutions reportedly switching from plastic to paper packaging after students documented an overload of plastic packaging in their school's vicinity.

Beyond public awareness, a solution to the plastic waste challenge will require both a massive public behavioural shift to stop packaging leaking into the environment, and an increase of resources to change and accelerate the process of innovation. Currently, most plastic waste innovation initiatives undertaken by producers, retailers, research institutions, NGOs and waste management are siloed, which limits their impact. They are entrenched in traditional frames of thinking rather than seeking a systemic shift.

Such a shift will require a change to the actual and perceived value of plastic packaging so it is seen as an asset rather than junk. Economic, societal and ecological ideals will need to be married and market mechanisms created to assign, transfer and exchange this value. This could take the form of crypto-credits or blockchain tokens. To be truly effective, these credits need to encompass all the ideals mentioned above - like carbon rewards.
Technological advances in plastic waste management
Technology advances already exist to assist with each step of the plastic waste management process - from asset creation and valuation to transfer and exchange. For instance, to optimise collection and recycling (and reduce poverty around the world), Canadian company Plastic Bank has created collection centres in Haiti, the Philippines and Indonesia (additional centres are soon to open in Egypt and Columbia), which buy waste by type and weight. Participants take their plastic packaging waste to one of Plastic Bank's collection centres and receive credits on their blockchain-based app, using smart contracts accessed from their mobile device.

Another initiative that focuses on transparency in asset valuation and transfer is Circularise, a Dutch start-up founded in 2016. Circularise created a blockchain solution that provides an accurate pricing system for any recycled material and can indicate the number of times the product has gone through the recycling process. For example, in textiles and plastics, it transmits info on recycled contents to the brand owners (e.g. Calvin Klein) by leveraging both the Circularise system and a tracer made by a third party.

Many other solutions are likely to emerge to accelerate and promote plastic packaging recycling practices at the company level. One example is Empower, a Norwegian start-up that uses blockchain tokens to foster donation-based recycling. For every euro donated by an organisation, Empower commits to clean up the same amount of plastic waste by weight. So, if Nestlé donates €1,000, Empower will collect 1,000 kg (€1/kg) of any Nestlé plastic packaging waste.

But the opportunities that blockchain offers extend even further. The technology's role as an enabler to create and transfer assets means it can connect each item of plastic packaging with the consumer so that it can be treated like an asset with clear monetary, social and ecological value. This could be achieved by adopting technologies such as digital watermarks, RFID, NTFS or IoT, which are currently being used to trace products through the supply chain. Another option could be a QR code printed on the packaging. A simple scan of the code could automatically link information to an app and generate a crypto-credit.

Blockchain also provides the means to create for each item a "material passport" containing valuable information about the packaging features, including the material composition, the proportion of raw vs. recycled plastics, the origins of the material or even the number of times it has been recycled.
The key lies in adding value to the waste
At present the near-zero value of plastic packaging after use makes any new business model almost impossible. This needs to be urgently revisited. One potential solution could be to borrow from the United Kingdom's deposit-return scheme model. This adds a small surcharge to the total price of each product, redeemable when the empty container is returned to the store. In the case of plastic packaging, the consumer would receive a crypto-credit and become accountable for disposing of the packaging in the appropriate container.

Just as microcredits have transformed global development, the simple act of assigning value to packaging and connecting it to consumers through blockchain has the potential to profoundly transform consumer behaviour and entrepreneurial projects in the coming decades.

Keeping in mind the pioneers of technologies, from social media (Facebook) to e-commerce (Amazon) and e-marketplaces (Airbnb), it is clear that there are tremendous opportunities and first-mover advantages to be had by leveraging blockchain in emerging digital markets where asset valuation is under-formalised. Addressing the issue of plastic packaging pollution is no exception. What is needed is a change champion, someone from inside or outside the field who understands the opportunities blockchain presents and has the foresight and resources to use it to bring about sustainable, large-scale change.
The authors have produced a comprehensive research study, titled "Thought Leadership Project: A World Without Beverage Packaging Waste", for Coca-Cola European Partners, due to be published in 2019 and available upon request. Michael Peshkam has written a more detailed article, titled "Transforming Plastic Pollution Using Blockchain: Toward a World Without Single Use Plastic Packaging Waste", published by the Blockchain Research Institute. is an INSEAD Executive in Residence. is an INSEAD Associate Professor of Marketing. Found this article useful? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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How Blockchain Can Win the War Against Plastic Waste

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Start-ups are making incremental use of blockchain to reduce plastic waste, but the technology's power to drive real change is yet to be realised. It is always difficult for business executives to grasp when a new technology is ripe for use, and blockchain is no exception.

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C n/a
R yes
A BY CRAIG FREUDENRICH, PH.D.
A no
P he talkes about how it is made

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Plastics are everywhere. While you're reading this article, there are probably numerous plastic items within your reach (your computer, your pen, your phone). A plastic is any material that can be shaped or molded into any form -- some are naturally occurring, but most are man-made.

Plastics are made from oil. Oil is a carbon-rich raw material, and plastics are large carbon-containing compounds. They're large molecules called polymers, which are composed of repeating units of shorter carbon-containing compounds called monomers. Chemists combine various types of monomers in many different arrangements to make an almost infinite variety of plastics with different chemical properties. Most plastic is chemically inert and will not react chemically with other substances -- you can store alcohol, soap, water, acid or gasoline in a plastic container without dissolving the container itself. Plastic can be molded into an almost infinite variety of shapes, so you can find it in toys, cups, bottles, utensils, wiring, cars, even in bubble gum. Plastics have revolutionized the world.

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Because plastic doesn't react chemically with most other substances, it doesn't decay. Therefore, plastic disposal poses a difficult and significant environmental problem. Plastic hangs around in the environment for centuries, so recycling is the best method of disposal. However, new technologies are being developed to make plastic from biological substances like corn oil. These types of plastics would be biodegradable and better for the environment.

In this article, we'll examine the chemistry of plastic, how it's made, how it's used, and how it's disposed of and recycled. We'll also look at some new biologically based plastics and their role in the future of plastic.

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Plastics are everywhere. While you're reading this article, there are probably numerous plastic items within your reach (your computer, your pen, your phone). A plastic is any material that can be shaped or molded into any form -- some are naturally occurring, but most are man-made. Plastics are made from oil.

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TOMRA joins new global alliance to end plastic waste

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TOMRA joins new global alliance to end plastic waste

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C 01 Jul 2019

R yes
A n/a
A no
P he talkes about plastic and how it effects the ocean

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TOMRA joins new global alliance to end plastic waste

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Launched in January, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste comprises nearly 30 members from companies that make, use, sell, process, collect and recycle plastics, also known as the plastics value chain. The alliance also partners with the finance community, governments and NGOs working in environmental and economic development.

TOMRA, which collects 40 billion used beverage containers a year through its reverse vending machines alone, joins existing members including global consumer good giants such as P&G, PepsiCo and Henkel, plastic producers such as Dow, Exxon, LyondellBasell as well as waste Management companies Suez and Veolia.

The total $1.5 billion (€1.35 billion) commitment by members will be invested over the next five years in projects to develop solutions for minimizing and managing plastic waste and promoting recycled plastics to enable a circular economy. Areas of focus for the alliance are infrastructure, innovation, education, engagement and clean-up efforts.

TOMRA provides collection solutions via reverse vending machines and material recovery, as well as sorting solutions for the food, recycling and mining industry. This powerful combination of technologies makes it one of the world's most advanced providers of sensor-based sorting systems.

Welcoming TOMRA to the alliance, chairman David Taylor, who is also chairman, president and CEO of Procter & Gamble, said: "The Alliance to End Plastic Waste is rapidly gathering pace and attracting influential and innovative members to our cause. This is the widest-ranging, collective effort of our time to tackle the scourge of plastic waste in the environment."

"TOMRA has a strong track record in developing technological innovations and taking impressive action to effectively collect and sort plastics. The company brings unparalleled expertise in driving huge improvements in consumer behaviour, enabling brand owners to use high-quality recycled plastics and, ultimately, preventing vast amounts of waste. TOMRA shares our values and we wholeheartedly welcome it to the alliance."

Founded in 1972, TOMRA employs more than 4,000 people globally and is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. Around 100,000 of its machines are installed in more than 80 markets worldwide.

TOMRA president and CEO, Stefan Ranstrand, said: "We feel privileged to join the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and believe that its collective action will be a catalyst to eliminating plastic pollution from our planet.

"We urgently need to transform the recycling industry by creating value out of waste. In some markets, recycling rates are as high as 98 percent, and some consumer goods companies are now making new products out of 100 percent recycled materials. But this is only a very small part of the picture, and much more must be done to preserve our world for generations to come."

"There is real momentum in the collaboration between industry and government, and we look forward to contributing our 45+ years of experience and knowledge to help society rethink how we use and reuse resources in partnership with this innovative alliance."

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TOMRA joins new global alliance to end plastic waste

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Launched in January, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste comprises nearly 30 members from companies that make, use, sell, process, collect and recycle plastics, also known as the plastics value chain. The alliance also partners with the finance community, governments and NGOs working in environmental and economic development.

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IOC’S PLASTIC GAME PLAN FOR SPORT TO HELP SPORTS ORGANISATIONS TACKLE PLASTIC POLLUTION

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IOC’S PLASTIC GAME PLAN FOR SPORT TO HELP SPORTS ORGANISATIONS TACKLE PLASTIC POLLUTION

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C 2020
R yes
A n/a
A no
P it talkes about plastic in the ocean

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has launched a new guide which aims to help the sports community address plastic pollution.

The guide, entitled Plastic Game Plan for Sport, was published in collaboration with UN Environment and includes contributions from World Sailing. Referencing successful examples from across the sports world, it provides guidance to event organisers on creating an effective plan to reduce plastic waste. This includes key steps such as eliminating single-use plastic items, reducing the amount of plastic used, reusing plastic items and recycling.

"Plastic pollution is one of the biggest challenges facing our environment today and sport - like any other industry - has an urgent responsibility to address it," said Marie Sallois, IOC Director of Corporate and Sustainable Development. "The IOC's Plastic Game Plan for Sport aims to provide sports organisations, event organisers, athletes and fans with clear, step-by-step guidance on how to eliminate plastic waste from their operations and everyday lives."

The guide's recommendations include introducing reusable or compostable cups and tableware at events, providing water refill points, recycling bins and reducing the use of 'hidden plastic' such as merchandise, signage, branding and ticketing. In addition, the guide encourages event organisers to leverage their reach to raise awareness of plastic pollution. It also offers tips for athletes and fans on how to cut down their own plastic waste and inspire others to do the same.

In line with Olympic Agenda 2020 - the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement - the IOC has committed to driving sustainable practices across the International Sports Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and the wider sports community. The IOC itself is reducing waste at its headquarters and is working with suppliers to ensure materials used at its events are sourced responsibly.

In June 2018, the IOC joined the UN Environment's Clean Seas campaign to fight plastic pollution in the oceans, calling on the entire Olympic Movement to follow suit. Eleven IFs, four NOCs and three commercial partners have so far committed to the initiative, putting concrete measures in place to reduce plastic waste.

In September 2019, the IOC supported the Big Plastic Pledge campaign, launched by Olympic sailing champion Hannah Mills. The campaign calls on athletes and fans to reduce their use of single-use plastic. Almost 200 elite athletes have signed the pledge so far, committing to reducing plastic use in their own lives and encouraging others to do the same.

The Plastic Game Plan for Sport is the latest instalment in the IOC's ' Sustainability Essentials' series, which provides practical guidance on key aspects of sustainability for NOCs, IFs and other sports organisations. Previous guides in the series include Introduction to sustainability, Sports for climate action and Sustainable sourcing in sport.

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IOC's Plastic Game Plan for Sport to help sports organisations tackle plastic pollution - Olympic News

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has launched a new guide which aims to help the sports community address plastic pollution. The guide, entitled Plastic Game Plan for Sport , was published in collaboration with UN Environment and includes contributions from World Sailing.

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C nov 20 2013
R yes it agres with my claim but it is more of a nutral on the opinion
A nate Ivy
A no
P he shows how pialtic is make

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How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean | National Geographic

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How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean | National Geographic

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C september 16 2016
R yes it  agres with my cliam
A n/a
A no
P they show how plastic polution effects the ocean

Stop at 1:30

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How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean | National Geographic

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10 Reasons Why Should We Ban Plastic Bags

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10 Reasons Why Should We Ban Plastic Bags

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C febuary 19 2019
R yes it agres with my cliam
A by sara
A no
P  she gives us more resons by showing how it effects are lond

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Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. They are a part of our modern lives, and we don't tend to think much about them. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1].

300 to 700 plastic bags pass through the hands of an average American in just one year [8] and a survey of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs concluded that the average household in the United Kingdom stores around 40 plastic shopping bags at home [2].

What about you? Do you also have that overflowing kitchen drawer full of plastic bags you bring from your shopping trips?

If the answer is yes, you should know that this inadvertent overconsumption of single-use plastic carries with it a very high cost to the environment, which in turn also negatively affects our health.

How? Well, let's have a look at the most important reasons why single-use plastic bags should be banned right now.

10 Good reasons why are plastic bags bad for us and for the environment

#1 Plastic bags pollute our land and water

Plastic bags are everywhere. Look around and you will notice that plastic bags are the most common litter. Tangled in trees and fences along roads, floating in water, lying on the ground in parks and forests, surrounding garbage bins, washed off on beaches...

Because they are so lightweight, plastic bags get easily picked up by wind and travel long distances by wind and water to pollute the nature.

Plastic bag litter has even caused great problems in some areas. For example, millions of discarded plastic bags clog water drainage channels and sewers in urban areas of Bangladesh. When the monsoon rains start, streets get waterlogged just after the first few minutes because the water cannot pass through clogged sewerage pipes.

For many of us it is hard to imagine that something as small as a plastic bag can actually cause flooding, but residents of some cities in Bangladesh have been struggling with this problem every monsoon season for the past two decades [3].

The Pasig River in the Philippines is another scary example of the negative effects of plastic bags on the environment. Some tributaries of the river have been filled with plastic waste to the level that you could almost walk across them without getting your feet wet. Unfortunately, such a high level of pollution doesn't come without consequences. The Pasig River is the eight worst source of ocean plastic pollution in the world.

#2 Plastic bags are made from non-renewable resources and contribute to climate change

We hear everywhere around us that we need to save energy. It is good for our environment, health and global climate. But only a few of us realize that each time we accept those disposable plastic grocery bags at store checkout, we actively participate in wasting energy and depleting non-renewable resources.

The majority of plastic bags are made of polyethylene, a substance that is derived from crude oil refining and natural gas processing.

Oil and natural gas are non-renewable fossil fuel-based resources and through their extraction and production, they emit greenhouse gases, which contribute to global climate change.

The production of these bags is very energy intensive. Globally, 8 to 10 percent of our current oil supply goes to a plastic bag manufacture [4]. In the United States alone, statistics reach up to 12 million barrels of oil that are used each year to produce even more plastic bags - 100 billion more, to give you the precise number [5].
To produce nine plastic bags, it takes the equivalent energy to drive a car one kilometer (more than 0.5 miles).
Using these non-renewable resources to make plastic bags is very short-sighted, considering that the typical useful life of each plastic bag is about 12 minutes and that the world's oil reserves contain enough oil to cover our needs through 2050, as the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates.

#3 Plastic bags never break down

Petroleum-based plastic bags are composed of very resistant synthetic polymers that may take up to 1,000 years or never until they completely degrade in natural environments [6]

What does occur in most instances is that when out in the environment, the plastic breaks up into tiny microscopic pieces that get deposited in soils (where we grow food) or contaminate waterways. These pieces can be so small that they are invisible to our eye.

You can be sure of one thing, though. Even when you don't see it, these indestructible particles are everywhere around us, including in the food chain.

Already in 2001, researchers found that the mass of microscopic plastic fragments in the North Pacific Central Gyre was 6 times higher than of plankton. The subtropical gyres of the North Pacific Ocean are also documented to contain the highest concentrations of plastic. It's because Asian and US coastlines release large amounts of plastic waste in the ocean [7].

But this comes along with many unanswered questions. We do not know the full impact of microplastics exceeding the mass of plankton in the ocean. We don't know how it will in the long term affect plankton-feeding species and their predators.

Scientists have recorded some species of zooplankton eating tiny plastic particles. Considering what important source of food plankton is for many other species, it is clear that plastic gets distributed across the marine ecosystem.

The truth is that we do not know yet the full scale of negative impacts plastic waste can have on marine and terrestrial environments because it hasn't been around long enough to allow us to assess possible scenarios of its influence on natural cycles.

However, one thing we know, is that by introducing a pollutant that may never break down in the environment can have implications that will far exceed any of our predictions.

#4 Plastic bags are harmful to wildlife and marine life

Have you ever seen endangered sea turtles hatch? They are tinier than a palm of your hand and appear so fragile when struggling across the beach to make it to the sea.

Even human footprints left in the sand represent mountain-like obstacles in their path and waves washing up on the beach are another challenge, as they thrust them back on the dry land to try once again before finally being picked up by a return current and start swimming for their life.

Since their birth, baby turtles have only one goal - to get to the sea and swim into deep waters where they will feed and if successful grow into adult turtles. On their long journey, they will encounter many difficulties and only a small portion of them will survive.

Sadly, one of their newly acquired enemies is created by us who should protect them instead. Plastic bags.

Plastic bags floating in the ocean resemble jellyfish, one of the main sources of food for some species of sea turtles, especially the critically-endangered Leatherback turtles.

According to a study carried out in 2013, up to 35 percent of turtle deaths were caused by plastic ingestion and the probability that sea turtles will consume even more plastic increases every year [9].

Sea turtles are not the only species suffering from plastic bag pollution of the environment.

Nearly 20 years ago, a dead pelican was found with its stomach filled with 17 plastic bags [10]. In 2008, a crocodile in Australia died because of 25 plastic bags filling its stomach [11]. A calf had to be put down because of indigestion caused by 8 plastic bags in its stomach. These examples could go on for a long time...

Plastic bags are often mistaken for food by animals, birds, and marine life. The consumed plastic congests the digestive tracts of these animals, and can lead to health issues such as infections, painful intestinal blockage, starvation or death by suffocation.

The most heartbreaking part of this is that the affected animals are not aware they eat something that will make them feel miserable and will slowly kill them.

Animals can also easily become entangled in this plastic waste. There were numerous cases of birds caught in plastic bags, unable to fly and feed, eventually strangling themselves to death.

Similar fate has met dolphins, seals, cats, dogs, deer and many other animals which got severely cut on their bodies due to plastic bag entanglement.

National Geographic made a video on how helpless it feels to be caught in a plastic bag. Have a look yourself to imagine the suffering of these animals.

Video credit: Youtube / National Geographic

A last example of a true horror caused by plastic has been discovered just recently. A 2018 study of coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific has confirmed that plastic waste deposited on coral reefs promotes outbreaks of diseases that gradually destroy whole reef colonies [12]. So, plastic waste only speeds up the destruction of these most biodiverse ecosystems on earth.

#5 Plastic bags are harmful to human health

Many of you may have heard it already. Tiny plastic particles have been found in human feces.

But is it really that surprising?

Microplastics were found in soft drinks like Coca Cola, in tap water, in seafood... It has contaminated our food chain, so it should not surprise us that it can be tracked in our body.
In fact, according to researchers, every second person on the planet could have some microplastic in the body [13].
The reason to worry is that scientists do not know how our metabolism and immunity will react to the increased concentration of plastic particles in our system. They suspect that it may add stress on the liver by introducing more pathogens into the body.

Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect absorption of some important trace elements (like iron) which we need for maintaining proper health [13].

Plastic bags and plastic products overall contain substances that are harmful to our health. The most common are inorganic dyes that are added to change the color of plastic bags.

These dyes on their own can leach toxins, but they can also be contaminated with traces of heavy metals such as lead or cadmium, both of which affect kidney health and proper functioning of other organs.

Plastic fragments in the ocean such as those from plastic bags can absorb pollutants like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) easily. These are known to be hormone-disrupting chemicals.

Another indirect danger of plastic bags has breeding ground in the pollution they create.

Plastic waste that clogs water drainage channels and river tributaries of many Asian cities increases exposure of residents to water-borne diseases, as it creates a toxic soup that remains stranded in one place for prolonged periods of time.

#6 Plastic bags are not easy to recycle

As plastic bags tend to get caught in recycling machinery, most recycling facilities do not have the capacity to recycle plastic bags and therefore do not accept them.

In fact, plastic bags are considered by many recycling facilities the number one contaminant and their removal from the recycling stream costs municipalities close to $1 million a year [18].

Since plastic bag recycling requires a specialized equipment that can break down the plastic and mold it into a new product, most municipalities do not have the budget to include their recycling in their waste management program. So, plastic bag recycling facilities are few and far between and transportation to one could be expensive.

As a result, the actual recycling rate for plastic bags globally is between 5 to 15 percent, while in the United States it makes only 1 percent a year [17].

An additional problem with plastic grocery bags recycling is their cleanliness. Ideally, to be suitable for recycling, bags need to be clean to be accepted, which is often a problem, considering that we use them to carry groceries and potentially leaky goods.

#7 Plastic bags are costly to pay for and to clean up after

If there is one piece of advice that everyone should remember, it would be that " nothing is for free" in this world.

While we may not pay for plastic bags directly when we go shopping, they are anything but "free."

On average, plastic bags cost retailers about 3-5 cents each. It may not seem like much, but when you imagine how many bags they have to provide throughout a year, you will quickly realize that plastic bags are costly. So, retailers incorporate this cost "hiddenly" into prices of other items sold at stores.

Additionally, someone has to pay the cost of dealing with plastic bags in the waste stream. This includes waste collection, regular cleanups to remove plastic bag litter along the roads or blown away from landfills and then even processing at landfill sites.

According to some estimates, the cost of plastic bag cleanup is about 17 cents per bag [14] and the cost is paid by us once again.

On average, taxpayers end up paying about $88 per year just on plastic bag waste [15].

So that "free" plastic bag isn't so free after all.

#8 Plastic bags have external costs

Beyond the costs associated with the production and purchasing of plastic bags by retailers, there are many external costs that are often not considered.

These costs include the true environmental costs of resource extraction and depletion, the loss of quality of life, economic loss from littering, and wildlife loss.

Unfortunately, such costs are typically not included in most economic analyses, as they are not easy to calculate because the equation would have to involve many indirect variables.

However, in 2014, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) supported the first project to calculate the "real" cost of plastic, including adverse environmental impacts of its production, use and disposal.

The resulting number is staggering. Plastic use costs approximately $75 billion a year [16].

#9 There are better alternatives available, and jobs to go with them!

The very best alternative is a reusable bag. Do you wonder why?

The explanation is quite simple. Reusable shopping bags are very durable and can be reused many times over the course of their useful life.

This means that you are not consuming more resources every time you need to carry your groceries home. Instead, you are actually reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earth's resources smartly, while at the same time reducing waste.

For example, a reusable jute bag should last at least 4 years, during which it can prevent the use of 600 single-use plastic bags.

Once a person gets into the habit of bringing reusable bags when shopping, it is not much of an inconvenience at all. After all, ask your grandparents, they will remember that during their time people were used to go shopping with their own bags or baskets.

The manufacturing of reusable bags or compostable alternatives to plastic bags offers a new opportunity to create sustainable products and provide jobs that go with them.

The trend has already started. There are some great initiatives that strive to provide jobs for women in rural communities with limited possibilities of securing monthly income.

#10 Other governments are banning plastic bags, so yours should too... or at least make people pay for them

To date, around 60 countries and municipalities around the world have instituted plastic bag bans, and additional seven countries are planning to enforce the law in the closest future.

Some countries have decided to do so after directly experiencing negative impacts of plastic bags, other countries have implemented the ban to reach their sustainability goals.

Let's see some examples:

The first country to ban single-use plastic bags was Bangladesh in 2002 when plastic bag litter clogged drainage channels and contributed to destructive floods.

Other country that has decided to enforce the country-wide plastic bag ban after suffering of negative consequences was Mauritania. The country instituted the ban in 2013 to minimize livestock deaths. Prior the ban, 70 percent of livestock losses were attributed to plastic bag ingestion [20].

In the United States, California has banned single-use plastic bags in 2016, but the city of San Francisco has locally issued this ban already in 2012 and consumers pay a little fee for other alternatives like compostable bags or recycled paper bags.

Another example of a locally issued ban is Seattle where not only single-use plastic bags have been banned but also single-use compostable and biodegradable bags. This measure should encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives.

For those governments that are opposed to full bans on plastic bags, another option is to institute a plastic bag tax, where consumers or retailers would pay a small fee for each plastic bag.

This strategy has been adopted by some countries and municipalities so far and has proven to greatly reduce plastic bag usage by consumers.

For example, in Botswana, the consumption of plastic bags dropped by 50 percent after the introduction of the tax in 2007. In Ireland, where this fee was instituted in 2002, plastic bag usage decreased by about 90 percent. This means that the average consumption of plastic bags per person dropped from 328 bags per year to just 21 [20].

While these countries and municipalities have been making strides in their part of reducing circulation of plastic bags, in total there are 195 countries in the world [19] and the issue of plastic pollution is still getting out of our hands. That is why the United Nations Environmental Programme Secretariat has recommended a ban on all plastic bags globally.

Steps towards a plastic bag free future: How to help ban plastic bags in your community?

Plastic bags have become such a nuisance because we as consumers use them excessively even when not needed and authorities haven't figured out effective ways of dealing with them as waste.
Until recently, the impact of plastic bags has been largely underestimated and overlooked.
Logically, the key to starting a change in your community is education.

This means that you need to first educate yourself about the problem. You need to know what effects plastic bags have on the environment and health. What is the root of the problem (consumers or municipal waste management)?

But you should also consider the other perspective - what effect single-use bags have had on the local economy and product affordability. You should examine what alternatives are available and whether local retailers, who often operate with a limited monthly budget, have the ability to make the switch.

By being aware about these issues, you will be ready to present some strong arguments why plastic bags should be banned in your area and answer questions of people who will become your ally if you will persuade them about your good intentions. Which brings us to the second part...

Second step is educating others.

Help raise awareness of fellow consumers - that means everyone when you think about it (unless they don't shop...ever).

Communities with good awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags have been more successful at enforcing the ban [20]. This is because the customers voluntarily reduce their consumption of plastic bags, which in turn provides enough time for retailers to find suitable alternatives and switch to them.

Once the wheel starts spinning, it leads to even more positive changes. The decrease in demand for plastic bags forces manufacturers to reduce their production and consider expanding in a supply of alternative products.

Additionally, awareness raising campaigns create a social pressure that should inspire local government and institutions to help in making changes at a bigger scale, like a regional ban or levy.

You as an individual have the power to make a gradual change in your community. Start from yourself and slowly expand to your family and friends. Individual actions can lead to collective actions.

How to stop using plastic bags?

The first answer to this question that comes to everyone's mind is to stop using plastic bags, right? Simply, refuse them when offered and bring your own reusable bag when shopping.

These steps are pretty straight forward and depend on your own initiative.

However, we are all too familiar with situations when a cashier automatically puts your items in a plastic bag before you can oppose it.

In many instances, it may seem too awkward for you to refuse the bag, so you accept it this one time, but you should know that it is fine to say no politely even at this stage if you don't want that bag. The cashier usually understands, only had to do what instructed and what most customers expect (unfortunately) from him or her. We all are just trying to do our job well.

In countries with a lack of awareness about negative impacts of plastic bags, a polite refusal might not be met with much understanding. Then, you should try to explain your reasons for not wanting your products packed in plastic bags.

Most retailers will get your point, but it can also happen that they will not be willing to sell you some products without placing it in their plastic bags because of having to oblige with some hygiene and sanitary standards (for example when selling meat products).

If this happens, there are a few scenarios you can follow:

You could either discuss with a store manager a possibility of bringing your own containers for these products.

Look for another place that does accept or use alternative packaging, such as small local stores that use paper wraps or compostable bags.

Or you may need to accept that plastic bag this time and then start campaigning for a plastic bag ban in your area 😊.

What to do with plastic bags you already have at home?

The best thing you can do with those old plastic bags that have been stashed in that overflowing drawer in your kitchen is to recycle them.

You cannot recycle them in the regular curbside collection of plastic, but you should be able to find many larger food stores and retailers (for example: Target, Walmart, Tesco, Morrisons, etc.) that do collect plastic bags and other plastic films and send them for proper recycling.

You can use some easy online locators to see the closest plastic bag drop-off. All you need to do is paste your ZIP code and then see the list of stores with bag drop-off in your nearest location.

Most drop-off collection points accept plastic bags made from high-density polyethylene (plastic number 2) and low-density polyethylene (plastic number 4). It means that most bags can be recycled.

This includes grocery plastic bags, Ziplock-type bags, dry cleaning bags and bread bags.

There is only one requirement - these plastic bags need to be dry and clean, otherwise they contaminate the entire batch and your effort will do more harm than good.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Reasons Why Plastic Bags Should Be Banned | Greentumble

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Plastic bags are a convenient way to carry our purchased goods when we go shopping. They are a part of our modern lives, and we don't tend to think much about them. In fact, it is estimated that up to 10 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world [1].

# data[].attributes.headline
Why banning plastic is the solution to our problem

# data[].attributes.subject
Why banning plastic is the solution to our problem

# data[].attributes.body
C Thurday mat 17 2018
R yes it does agre with my claim
A by alex truelove
A no
P he gives us ways to stop single use plastic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These days, most people agree that plastic pollution is a big problem. Nothing we use for a few minutes should be allowed to contaminate our oceans and rivers and threaten the health of humans and wildlife for centuries. Because so much of our plastic pollution comes from single-use items such as cups, bags, straws and containers, people also agree that we should focus on those products first.

But exactly how should we address the problem of single-use plastic pollution?

There are, generally, three schools of thought:

1. Tax it.

2. Recycle it.

3. Ban it.

If you've been following our partner Environment America's Wildlife Over Waste campaign to ban polystyrene containers, then you know where we stand. Here's why the other two options won't get the job done:
Option 1: Tax it
Taxing or placing a fee on plastic items such as grocery bags is a halfway solution at best. An extra 5 cents per bag discourages some consumers from using plastic and provides the government with revenue, but many consumers have no qualms about paying a nominal fee for what they consider convenience.

For example, Montgomery County, Maryland, outside Washington, DC, instituted a nickel fee for plastic bags in 2012. However, from 2014 to 2015, large chain grocery stores there actually distributed more of the bags, according to the Washington Post.

A tax on a social problem like plastic works well only if it causes consumers to stop acquiring the taxed item altogether. At 5 or even 10 cents a bag, the current plastic taxes clearly aren't enough of a deterrent.
Option 2: Recycle it
At first glance, this is an alluring option. It's the have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too narrative. We take single-use plastic items, and instead of throwing them into landfills, or allowing them to reach the oceans, we recycle them into new plastic items, supposedly creating a righteous and circular economy. This is the strategy that the plastic industry has trumpeted for some time.

But consumption has costs. It takes energy and resources to manufacture every item we use, including recycled ones. Recycling single-use plastics encourages consumers to buy and toss more plastic instead of reusing items.

Also, recycling can be difficult -- both logistically and financially.

Consider the chronic issue of containment. Almost a third of our single-use plastic items never make it to the the landfill. They're small, lightweight, and chronically spill out of garbage cans or blow out of landfills. Also, people litter. How do you fix that? More education? Harsher penalties? More policing? Better equipment?

These are all good ideas, but will they work? And who pays for them?

Let's say we magically solve the containment issue. There's another problem. Plastic recycling requires specialized equipment that most of the country does not have access to. Equipment is expensive and used plastic is a mostly unprofitable commodity. With cities and municipalities across the country already struggling to pay for education, infrastructure and social programs, how on earth can they afford to upgrade their recycling capacity? They can't, and plastic companies touting the recycling fix aren't funding these programs either.

So, we're left with...
Option 3: Ban it.
Ban single-use plastics. That's what the UK has decided to do, starting as early as next year.

Why not? It's viable, given that we already have more sustainable alternatives (glass, paper, bioplastics, ceramic, and more). And when given a mandate, major companies will comply and lead the way. For example, McDonald's is phasing out plastic straws and replacing them with paper products in the UK.

People lived for thousands of years without straws, plastic bottles or styrofoam takeout containers. We clearly don't need single-use plastics -- neither the detrimental side effects of drilling for the fossil fuels needed to make them, nor the pollution after we're done with them. Quite the opposite: what we need to do is act on the fact that what seems convenient to us now will create insurmountable hardships for our children and grandchildren.

A ban is the most effective way to rid us of single-use plastics once and for all.

Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Banning Plastics Is The Solution to our Plastic Problem | U.S. PIRG

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These days, most people agree that plastic pollution is a big problem. Nothing we use for a few minutes should be allowed to contaminate our oceans and rivers and threaten the health of humans and wildlife for centuries.

# data[].attributes.body
C jun 2019
R yes it does  agre with my claim
A by john Hite it is a .gov
A no
P informing readers that there are reashurch that shows that plastic hurtes are invirment

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At the outset of efforts to combat the plastic pollution crisis, local and state governments across the U.S. are focused on banning single-use plastic bags. CLF is also committed to passing bag bans in each New England state and has covered the many reasons why plastic bags should be outlawed in previous blogs.

As these efforts gain headway, however, several studies have emerged challenging the effectiveness of bag bans. These studies - and their coverage in the media - are causing some confusion among consumers and legislators.

We want to set the record straight since studies critiquing plastic bag bans don't account for the broader scope of plastics - and they shouldn't be taken as an excuse not to ban bags at all.

Plastic Bags' Carbon Footprint and Toxicity - Both Matter

The list of studies and reports on the dangers of plastic seems to get longer by the day - our plastic problem clearly has become a crisis. The production, use, and disposal of plastic are all bad for human health and the environment, as plastic is rarely recycled or even recyclable. According to National Geographic, if the plastics industry were a country, it'd be the fourth largest carbon emitter after China, the U.S., and India.

Still, some argue that plastic grocery bags are not part of the carbon problem. The Environment Agency in the U.K. released a report in 2011 that shows the carbon impact of paper, reusable plastic, and cotton bags is higher than single-use plastic bags when considering the production, use, and disposal of each. According to the report, a cotton bag would need to be used 131 times to have a lower effect on the climate.

What this report doesn't include is any attempt to calculate the toxicity of plastic or the dangers of littering plastic bags. Surely its conclusion would be different were it to factor in:

What's more, when fees on paper bags are included in single-use plastic bag bans, consumers are more likely to bring reusable bags. A cotton bag can be used thousands of times, and you can even compost it once you're done with it. When taking all of this into account, the report's sole focus on carbon analysis is deceptive because using plastic is always more toxic and polluting than the alternatives.

Bans aren't Perfect, But They Still Work

A more recent study from a researcher at the University of Sydney found that California's bag ban led to a moderate increase in paper bag usage and pushed some customers to buy thicker plastic bags. The study suggests these thicker bags were purchased to replace the secondary use of free, single-use plastic bags as trashcan liners or to pick up pet waste. As a comparison of weight, the study reported that 28.5% of the plastic reduced through a bag ban was offset by shifting consumption to other bags.

The upshot of the Sydney study is that the California bag ban reduced plastic bag consumption by 71.5% - a huge decrease. It also took 100% of those plastic grocery bags out of the recycling system, where they bound up machinery and increased costs. The ban also kept them from littering neighborhoods and the environment.

While the Sydney study is cited as a criticism of bag bans, it also shows how successful they are in reducing plastic bag use. The study also indicates that bans don't go far enough to end the plastic crisis.

Bag Bans are the Starting Line, Not the End Goal

Plastic is always the wrong option. It pollutes and is toxic throughout its production and use. What's more, it poses a deadly threat to marine and land-based life and must always be burned or buried, even after being recycled a few times. Although bag bans won't solve the plastic crisis on their own, they do help to change plastic consumption habits and cause consumers and retailers to be more open to alternatives.

That's why CLF's Zero Waste Project is focused on passing bag bans, while also working to reduce plastic use overall - including any single-use plastics designed for disposal. Our Plastic Free New England campaign embodies that effort - to move towards a New England with no disposable plastic options.

Banning single-use plastic bags is a small but critical first step towards tackling the plastic crisis. The consideration and adoption of bag bans have already played a crucial role in drawing attention to the harms of plastic and has pushed people to examine their plastic consumption habits.

That's why we're celebrating recent victories in Maine and Vermont, where bag bans were just signed into law. Vermont even went a step further, passing the most comprehensive plastic bill in the country. Not only did the state ban single-use bags, but also polystyrene. And plastic straws are now available only by request.

Now, we need Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire to follow suit. So let's get statewide bag bans passed, New England!

UPDATE: The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a temporary return to single-use plastic - public officials and businesses throughout New England have curbed the use of reusable coffee cups, delayed plastic bag bans, and temporarily banned reusable bags from grocery stores. These decisions were made to protect public health, but in the past few months the following facts have come to light:

The driving force linking COVID-19 with reusable bags was not public health officials, but the plastics industry;

Evidence and statements from the public health community make clear that there is no known contact transmission of the coronavirus on any surface, including reusable bags; and

Even if the coronavirus were to be transmitted via contact, the virus has a longer life on plastic than other materials.

Meanwhile, producing, using, and disposing of single-use plastic continue to pollute the environment and our bodies. In many cases, communities harmed by air pollution from plastic production facilities and incinerators - primarily environmental justice communities - are also at greater risk from COVID-19.

But we can protect public health and the environment by moving away from single-use and towards new systems that are safer and more sustainable.

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The Truth about Plastic Bag Bans. Tackling plastic pollution will take more than bag ban, but we have to start somewhere...

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C posted 2006-2020
R no It does not agres with my claim
A by jennifer L. Betts it is a .com
A no
P the per pos is to persude to not use plastic

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Let us help you live a life you love. Find tools to help you have fun and make the most out of each and every day.

# data[].attributes.headline
20+ Reasons Why Plastic Bags Should Be Banned

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20+ Reasons Why Plastic Bags Should Be Banned

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C posted 2020 ,not edited
R Yes it agrese with my claim
A Rinkesh it is a . com
A No
P The porbus is to teach