Hope for Earth’s plastic pollution crisis
By Jay Lee
In a world where plastic takes up 80 per cent of debris and more than 10 million tons of plastic end up in oceans yearly, is there still hope for our survival?
“Plastic pollution and juvenile fish” by Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash.
Since the discovery of polymers which help create plastics in the 19th century, the use of plastics has surged to unmeasurable amounts, with the invention now being used in straws, keyboards, smart phones, you name it. From the outside, the discovery of the material seems like a huge win as we rely on the materials mentioned so heavily, but the problems created may outweigh this win; with plastic debris sighted in oceans and plastic polluting the air we breathe. Plastics have harmful chemicals which easily find their way into nature through people throwing them into oceans or them flying away from landfill trucks for example. Consequently, animals end up finding this plastic and die from digesting or getting tangled in them accidentally, which hugely affects all organisms’ food chain.
As the population of the world and reliance on plastic-made materials increases, these issues become more grave, and so solutions need to be manufactured. Fortunately in 2021, the Government of Canada followed over thirty-five other countries in taking action against plastic pollution by adding plastic manufactured items to the Toxic Substance List and by making a draft of the proposed regulations. They hope to finalize publications soon and then put the ban into full effect by the end of 2022, with a transition period between the final publication and actual ban for all to move into the new circumstance smoothly. This act was molded following the support of thousands of Canadians on releasing bans on plastics and to solve pollution-related issues and research showing the issue being significant in the country. For example, research showed that only nine per cent of plastics were recycled. The ban is on the importing, manufacturing and sale of six types of single-use plastics: plastic cutlery, straws, ring carriers, checkout bags, stir sticks, and food service-ware. The impact this would have on medical patients or medical settings, however, was not forgotten, as the ban exempts these two scenarios.
A reason why this ban is needed is due to it lessening the amount of air pollution, as briefly mentioned before. When plastics are burned, plastics release a toxic substance which leads to ambient air pollution. With this ban, there would be a significant reduction in the amount of plastic in Canada’s nature, and it would make the experience of going to beaches or being around nature more pleasant and healthy.
As Canada’s Minister of Health Jean Yves-Duclos backs up, "The plastic ban creates a healthier living environment for all.” Additionally, it would alleviate the number of breathing issues created, such as asthma and reduce the risk of disease transportation.
Another reason why the ban would be beneficial is that it would enable money to be redirected to solving other issues. In the United States, more than 32 billion U.S dollars was used to sort, dispose, and recycle plastic waste generated in 2019, and this number is similar in Canada. With less plastic generated by reducing the reliance on single-use plastic, more money could be used instead to create organisations to help solve and fix other environmental issues.
However, the ban does have its cons, as many layoffs of people that work in the plastic manufacturing industry would be expected due to a striking decline in demands for single-use plastics. This would also require shoppers to remember to bring and buy reusable shopping bags for quite costly amounts, but for the long term, we will come to discern the need for this sacrifice.
This ban has mixed opinions, with some stating their reliance on single-use plastics makes the ban problematic, but the majority say it is for the better.
"It’s great to see countries stepping up to be the role model for solving this issue. Some will struggle to cope with the ban at first, but it sets a good example for other nations and is beneficial for our planet’s survival," said one Year 10 RCHK student.
"Any way we can reduce the plastic consumption of our Earth will make our world better, so I would like to see other countries follow the path that Canada and dozens of other countries are taking," believes another student.
This conveys how students believe the ban will unequivocally leave other countries inspired to take action against the issue, too and we hope to see Hong Kong take a glimpse of this act by Canada. Hopefully, this ban will lead Canada many steps closer to achieving zero plastic waste by 2030.