Essay Sample on Preventing Future Pollution by Banning Single-Use Plastics

The world is slowly suffocating from the pollutants found both in the air and on earth, on a fast track to destruction because of the massive amounts of waste that the human race has produced in its short time on this earth. Pollution is stated as “the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are called pollutants. Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash, or they can be created by human activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the quality of air, water, and land” (Boudreau, Diane, et al.). Most of the pollution in the ecosystem is caused by items produced by humans, such as single use plastics. Single-use plastics, also known as SUP, are “any plastic item that has to be discarded after being used once and can't be recycled” (No Ban on Single-use Plastics). The most common examples of single-use plastics are “grocery bags, food packaging products, bottles, straws, containers, cups and cutlery” (Freedom from Single-use Plastics). Around 40% of the 400 million tons of plastic being produced every year falls under the category of single-use plastic (Why Plastic Piling). They are the most harmful pollutant in the environment because of the absurdly long time that they take to decompose and how long they can stay in an ecosystem without being destroyed(Bihar government enforces). 

When plastic is introduced to an ecosystem, it almost always leads to a decline in the general health of the organisms within it. “Millions of animals are killed by plastic every year - from birds to fish to other marine organisms. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by plastics.” (Why Plastic Piling). Marine life in general has the hardest time coping with the after-effects of single-use plastic. Dolphins and sea cow populations in India and Thailand have been cut down by fishing nets and plastic gear in rivers, which catch on to them and result in their drowning. (Land, freshwater species). When plastic is thrown on the ground, the wind can blow it far away and into primary ecosystems for various species. Even some of the most isolated places on the planet have at least a small amount of pollution (Boudreau, Diane, et al.). Major industries and companies rely on single-use plastic in their packaging and claim that if they were to stop using it, then their sales would drop because of the absence of an alternative (No ban on). However, there are in fact replacements for single-use plastics and the activities they are used for. Things like biodegradable leaf cutlery in place of plastic cutlery could provide reliable and clean substitutes for single-use plastics in the near future (What if not). Some people also argue that plastic will break down over time and not cause an issue in the long run. While plastics do eventually break down, it takes years for this to happen but “Left alone, plastics don’t really break down; they just break up. Over time, sun and heat slowly turn plastics into smaller and smaller pieces until they eventually become what are known as microplastics” (Single-Use Plastics 101). Although single-use plastics are a prevalent part of the average person's daily routine, the challenges that would come with finding replacements for their functions would be more than worth it in the grand scheme of things. 

The amount of plastic in the ecosystem is a major problem due to its inability to decompose, the way it's disposed of, and the lack of an effort to properly recycle and manage waste. However, the root cause is that many industries are too reliant on SUPs. “We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. That’s nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population” (Single-Use Plastics 101). A study by the Federal Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry concluded that a plastic ban would increase the prices of many products since many companies have to make a massive transition to alternative packaging. Large companies arguing about the price of products have resulted in no action being taken to reduce the amount of single-use plastic. If stores and companies are able to continue using plastics, they most likely will due to the fact that it helps increase sales and profits (No ban on). In the long run, switching to reusable bags will help shoppers and companies save money because “stores have to factor the cost of disposable bags into their prices. By eliminating plastic bags, stores can lower prices, helping shoppers save $18 to $30 annually” (Pros & Cons).

In order to decrease the amount of pollution in Westford, we will propose a bill that would ban single use plastic and incentivize using biodegradable materials as an alternative. Many states have begun to decrease the amount of single use plastic that they use by banning the use of plastic bags. This has happened much closer as well, with the ban that was passed in Concord, Massachusetts. This ban took place in 2015, and disallowed the use of single use checkout bags in retail and grocery stores in Concord (Plastic Bag Reduction). Our proposed ban would be more wide reaching in terms of what it removed and would aim to completely remove items that could be classified as single use plastics such as plastic utensils, bags or water bottles, building on the steps that Concord has already taken. Stores would not be allowed to use single-use plastics or sell products that use them. This bill would also include fines enforced upon the stores and businesses that did not adhere to the standards agreed upon. The absence of single-use plastics in stores and establishments would reduce the amount of plastic found in Westford’s ecosystems in a very effective way. This would be much easier and more effective than trying to rework an entire disposal system. These changes are much more complex and take more time than our proposal, and getting this bill passed would be a great stepping stone for larger changes like the aforementioned projects. This bill is similar to the law passed in India regarding the removal of single use plastics. They are phasing out the use of single use plastics over the course of 3 years. (Blog- Single-use plastic ban). Because the plan is already laid out, Westford can adapt their own version of this project. Following this bill, Westford would also impose another cessation of the bill illegalizing the selling of products in SUP bags or containers such as chip bags and water bottles. By getting this bill approved, Westford could eventually completely  remove single-use plastic, resulting in a cleaner and more prosperous environment and a decrease in pollution. In the larger scheme of things, if the bill is successful it could move to the state level and maybe even the federal level and possibly completely remove the use of single use plastic in the United States.