Should plastic bags be banned?

Plastic bags have been a well-known issue for a while now. According to npr.org, in 2024, Colorado and Rhode Island enacted statewide bans on single-use plastic bags, joining other states that already had restrictions: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. These bans reduce the amount of future pollution. Plastic bags are wasteful and harm animals. Reusable bags are more cost-efficient and less harmful to the environment.  

“I like plastic bags because they are easily accessible and cheap,” said Deerfield Beach High school sophomore Maricel Vargas. 

Bans on plastic bags negatively affect people in low-income communities. Plymouth Congregational Church states that while the initiative is a positive environmental step, it negatively impacts the communities they serve, such as those relying on their pantry who cannot afford reusable bags. To combat this, they donated reusable bags to those in need. Reusable bags are more efficient since they are a one-time buy and multi-use.

The World Count says that only 1-3% of plastic bags get recycled and that the production of plastic bags uses 8% of oil resources. So many people use plastic bags that end up in landfills or the ocean, which hurts wildlife. Plastic bags are harmful from manufacturing to disposal. It is not only animals who ingest these harmful plastics. According to EWG.org, adults consume up to 150,000 plastic particles through their diets,  roughly equivalent to twelve plastic shopping bags annually. This is caused by microplastics in the ocean caused by plastic pollution. Humans are working against themselves by using plastic bags; animals and humans consume these plastics in one way or another.

“It is hurting the ocean and the animals in them,” said DBHS sophomore Giovanna Carvalho.

Plastic pollution hurts many animals every year. NTS.com says that over 1 million marine animals, including many sea turtles, die each year due to plastic pollution in the ocean; not only sea creatures are affected by plastic pollution. Birds and domesticated farm animals are also affected because they mistake plastic for food and die of starvation. 

The effects of plastic pollution are irreversible, but further damage can be prevented. Bans on plastic bags have been proven to reduce the amount of plastic waste. Reusable bags are more efficient and do not hurt the environment. Banning plastic bags is a necessary step towards a future of sustainability and the well-being of people and wildlife.

Written by Camila Castro  | Graphic Designed by Camila Castro 

Published December 5, 2024 | ePathfinder | Perspectives