Banning Single Use Plastics to Reduce Terrestrial and Marine Pollution and Greenhouse Emissions

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Banning single use plastics as a response to terrestrial and marine plastic pollution
impacts and to reduce greenhouse emissions from plastics production.
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Purpose
Plastics find a wide range of applications from food packaging material to countless devices
such as medical equipment and energy generation devices such as wind turbines and solar
panels. It is an indisputable fact that plastics have revolutionized the lives of millions of
people worldwide. However, like everything else, the myriad advantages associated with
plastic use do not come without a cost. The use of plastics, especially those designed for
single use is a major contributing factor to two main forms of environmental pollution
namely, greenhouse and marine pollution. This paper seeks to examine the effectiveness of
banning single-use plastic materials as a response to the rising ocean pollution endangering
marine life and greenhouse gas emissions from plastic manufacturing industries.
Background
Plastics have been in use for a considerably long time, since the mid nineteenth century.
However, their use has recently been rising rapidly and this can be attributed to the increasing
global population as well as technological and economic development which has seen the
establishment of many different industries. The global plastic production was estimated at
407 million tons per year in 2015 (Ricardo Barra, Sunday A, & Leonard, 2018). If the current
rate of production is maintained, production is estimated to hit about 1600 million tonnes per
annum in 2050 (Ricardo Barra, Sunday A, & Leonard, 2018). It is estimated that, about 50 %
of plastics are designed to be disposed after only a single use. For instance, packaging
agricultural products and other consumer items. Plastics manufactured for long term use, for
example in materials such as conduits and cable coatings are estimated to be in the range of
20 to 25 %. Currently, most of the plastics produced are non-biodegradable. This means that
they have the ability to last several decades into the future (Improving Plastics Management,

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2018). Besides, biodegradable plastics can last for a significant length of time because the
rate of degradation is dependent on environmental factors such as temperature and oxygen ().
The massive production of plastics coupled with poor control policies have profound impacts
on the environment including greenhouse gas emissions which have led to global warming,
marine pollution and chemical contamination to name but a few. These effects require
immediate action to be taken if humankind is to hope for the achievement of a sustainable
future. Without proper policies in place, the plastic menace will prove a huge stumbling block
in the fight against climate change and the associated effects.
Negative impacts of plastic use on the environment
Marine pollution
Microplastics is a term commonly encountered in the study of the effects of plastic on marine
life. It captures the fact that material such as plastic water bottles are broken down into
smaller pieces which can be easily ingested by aquatic organisms such as fish (Improving
Plastics Management, 2018). It is estimated that the ocean contains more than 150 million
tonnes of plastic which is equivalent to about five trillion micro and macroplastic particles
(Improving Plastics Management, 2018). Without intervention, the quantity of plastics in the
ocean could triple by 2025 (Galloway, 2015). Plastics designed for single use are the major
contributors to this leakage. Annually, approximately 330 billion plastics are produced for
single use then discarded into the surroundings (Galloway, 2015). These account for almost
50 % of the beach litter in the sea areas including the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, Baltic
and North Atlantic (Ricardo Barra, Sunday A, & Leonard, 2018). As many of the marine
organisms are a source of food for many people globally, these Microplastics are
incorporated into the food chain. This has high potential for adverse effects on human health