Argumentative Essay: The Case for Banning Plastic Bags

This argumentative essay presents a compelling case for banning plastic bags, emphasizing their detrimental effects on the environment. The essay begins by highlighting the widespread use of plastic bags and their role in environmental degradation, particularly for marine life and climate change. The author argues that plastic bags, derived from petroleum and natural gas, take centuries to decompose, leading to significant pollution of water bodies and harm to animals. The essay further discusses the human contribution to plastic production, the formation of garbage patches, and the potential health risks associated with plastic use, including the contamination of food. While acknowledging the convenience of plastic bags for some, the author concludes that the environmental and health costs outweigh the benefits and advocates for a ban on plastic bags, urging for the adoption of biodegradable alternatives and the reduction of pollution. The essay is well-researched, citing various sources to support its claims and recommendations.

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“PLASTIC BAGS SHOULD BE BANNED” - ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
Plastic bags have been the immediate solution as a secure carrier of various liquid,
semisolids and solid products. The majority of the millennial kids tend to consider the use of
plastics to be a practice that has been followed since time immemorial. The concept of the
plastics had been introduced by the British Empire during the early years of the 1990s. The first
manufacture of plastic bags had taken place in a particular manufacturing plant that was present
in Northwest England. The plastic bags were initially used solely for industrial purposes (Maye,
Kirwan, and Brunori). However, over time, the use of plastic bags became a nuisance. The
plastic bag misuse has been leading to the environmental deterioration especially for marine
creatures and climatic changes. This has also been leading to the degradation of the human
health and increased pollution. The following paper attempts a discussion on the proposed ban
on the use of plastic.
Plastic bags are known to have been affecting the health of the planet. The plastic bags
are generally formed from the long chains of molecules of ethylene monomer. The ethylene
monomer is derived from petroleum and natural gas. These are used for the manufacture of the
plastics which have a very crude finishing. The enhancement of finishing of plastics is performed
by adding various chemical products and dyes. The incorporation of the chemicals and the dyes
within the manufacture of the plastics tend to enhance the durability of the concerned item (Saha

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et al.). However, the enhancement of the strength of the material often leads to non-degradability
of the item. The plastic bags are known to take a minimum of five centuries or a millennium to
get appropriately decomposed. This has affected the environmental matters associated with the
longevity of the planet along with the number of creatures of the earth.
The plastic bags, and other items that are made of plastic tend to have a highly
detrimental effect on nature as well as the environment of an area. The primary area that is being
contaminated by use of plastic refers to significant water bodies within the planet. This has been
affecting the health of the creatures of natural habitat wherein the plastic was being dumped. The
various animals that have been present within the oceans tend to intake a large quantity of plastic
daily (Negussie and Mustefa). The humans, in the long run, tend to intake high amount of
plastics in their meal through intake of high amount of seafood by individual. The endangered
mammals have often washed ashore in a dead state. The primary reason behind the large-scale
deaths of these mammals refers to the intake of the plastics by enormous animals. The addition
of the plastic to the seafloors have further affected the natural reservoirs that help in storing the
groundwater as well (Zarei, Taghipour and Hassanzadeh). The inclusion of a higher amount of
plastic contents within ocean floors tends to lead to a decrease in the amount of the groundwater
that needs to be stored within the planet as well.
The researches on the issues that are created by the use of plastics state that human beings
are generally responsible for a massive scale of plastic production all over the world. The
humans might be held accountable for the creation of over 400 million tons of plastic throughout
the year (Muise et al.). This leads to the increase in the amount of non-degradable waste products
all over the world. The conditions faced by the global environment led to the increment of the
pollution within earth. The excessive use of plastic has led to the dumping of the artificial

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elements into the natural environment, thereby creating colossal garbage dumplings all over the
planet. The sailor researcher, Charles Moore had discovered a vast stretch of waste materials
within the Pacific Ocean (Laskar and Kumar). This waste stretch is popularly known as the Giant
Pacific Garbage patch and is majorly composed of plastic wastes.
The plastic bags have also been known for degrading the quality of food items that are
carried within plastics. The plastics are often found to be implementing the carcinogenic material
within the food. This is usually found to be increasing the harmful effects of consuming the food
as compared to the food that is carried around in containers made out of stainless steel and other
such metals. The plastic bags that are used in the carrying of the food are often found to be
discarded in an improper manner (Raubenheimer and McIlgorm). The animals who have been
attempting to secure food are usually found to be chewing on to the plastic, considering it to be
food material as well. The intake of the plastic bags might as well lead to the conditions wherein
the animal might get choked. These might also lead to the death of the animal in the longer run.
The plastic usage has been assisting in the deterioration of the human health as well. The lower
quality of plastic is used for the packaging of food materials in many parts of the world. This use
of the lower quality plastic is leading to the fatal medical conditions that are being faced by the
humans. The majority of the take-away counters that are present in the developing countries tend
to use plastics for giving away food items. The heat of the food items is generally found to be
developing carcinogenic criteria in contact with the lower quality plastics that are used for the
purpose of packaging food. This in turn is responsible for a huge number of fatal diseases that is
being faced by the human beings who have been residing on the surface of the earth.
The plastic bags and other such material that is manufactured from the plastic is
considered to be generally non-degradable. The plastic bags are known to take a long time of

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almost five centuries or a millennium to get appropriately decomposed. This has affected the
longevity of earth as a whole and the creatures residing within the planet. A meager amount of
plastic materials tends to be recyclable. This leads to conditions wherein the majority of the
produced plastics tend to pollute the given atmosphere. The humans might be held accountable
for the creation of over 400 million tons of plastic throughout the year. This leads to an increase
in the amount of non-degradable waste products all over the world. The conditions that were
faced by the global environment led to the increment of the pollution within the environment of
the earth (Prata et al.). The excessive use of plastic has led to the dumping of the artificial
elements into the natural environment, thereby creating huge garbage dumplings all over the
planet. The countries across the globe are observed to be taking measures to ban the use of
plastics (Xanthos and Walker). This would help in lowering the pollution rate within the world
and assist the increase of the longevity of the planet as a whole.
However, despite all the various issues that are faced by the planet due to the high use of
the plastics, a particular section of the world population find it easier to use the bags in place of
the bags and other baggage that are made of bio-degradable and are not harmful to the
environment of planet (Davis). The people using plastic bags instead of bags made of bio-
degradable materials tend to highlight that plastic bags are easier to use and are available in a
convenient manner (Haider et al.). The supermarket chains were highly responsible for spreading
a word regarding the usefulness of the plastic bags in matters related to the transportation of the
various goods from one place to another. The high rates of use of plastic bags for transportation
purposes have been increasing at a phenomenal rate since the middle of the 1980s (Thompson).
However, the environmentalists and other such people associated with the environmental

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development and restoration of proper climatic conditions argue against the claim which might
curb down on the pollution within the atmosphere of the earth.
In lieu of the above discussion, it might be concluded that the plastic materials indeed
pose to be a nuisance. The plastic bags were initially used solely for industrial purposes.
However, over time, the use of plastic bags became a nuisance. The present-day scenarios
highlight the misuse of plastic bags, which is known to cause environmental deterioration as well
as climatic changes that have been taking place within the world. This might put forth an
increase in the amount of non-degradable waste products all over the world. The excessive use of
plastic has led to the dumping of the artificial elements into the natural environment, thereby
creating colossal garbage dumplings all over the planet. The use of plastic bags is harmful to the
environment and especially the sea-life and is responsible for the climate changes that have been
taking place within the world. The plastic bags and the usage of plastic should thus be banned.

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References
Davis, Heather. "Life & death in the Anthropocene: A short history of plastic." Art in the
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Prata, Joana C., et al. "Solutions and Integrated Strategies for the Control and Mitigation of
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Raubenheimer, Karen, and Alistair McIlgorm. "Is the Montreal Protocol a model that can help
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Saha, Sampa, et al. "Bio-plastics and Biofuel: Is it the Way in Future Development for End
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