The harmful effects of Plastic Pollution on the Environment is no longer a secret — thanks to innumerable programs conducted by environmentalists. The amount of such waste in the ocean is mindboggling and the dangers they pose to marine life is also well known. Countries the world over want to introduce the concept of reducing dependency on these products and Britain plans to ban plastic straws and cotton buds.
BBC reports that Prime Minister Theresa May agreed about the ills effects of this waste. It is a major challenge for the wellbeing of the environment and must be tackled seriously.
She added that Britain has already taken a number of steps to tackle this menace. The ban on straws will get added to the list of actions taken like introducing charges for plastic bags, ban on microbeads and starting a deposit-return scheme for drinks bottles.
Much more needs to be done
The initiatives taken by Britain to control plastic pollution are praiseworthy but much more needs to be done. Theresa May took advantage of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting CHOGM to urge the leaders present to tackle the problem of controlling marine plastics. She reminded them that the Commonwealth has a large variety of wildlife on the coasts which must be protected along with the environment for the sake of the future generations.
Incidentally, music festivals in England have decided to ban plastic straws at their events this summer. The organizers have also pledged to eliminate all single-use plastic by 2021.
Eliminate plastic to save the world
Plastic is a non-biodegradable product and will remain as an eyesore for generations to come and destroy the environment.
The bulk of this harmful waste lands up in the oceans and pose risks to marine life. Hence, there is a need to go back to the pre-plastic era to end the menace of plastic pollution.
Global News adds that Britain is drafting plans to ban plastic straws and British Prime Minister Theresa May has taken a pledge to eradicate such waste by 2042.
It will be an action plan for the whole nation. The ban will include items like cotton swabs which are usually flushed down the toilet, enters the drainage systems, and get carried into the ocean where they pose a threat to marine animals who might treat them as edible stuff with unfortunate results.
Some restaurants in the U.K. have already banned single-use plastic straws. McDonald’s in Britain plans to revert to paper straws. Some parts of the United States have already banned them, and Canada is also encouraging bars and restaurants in Toronto to go straw-free.
