Claudine Caluza

Mrs. Storer

Block 3 English 3

November 18, 2019

Plastic-Intolerant

Almost everything that surrounding us contains plastic. One may be blind to how

dependent humanity is on plastic items, when one first thinks of plastic, they may have thought

of grocery bags or water bottles. Where do our everyday items like toothbrushes end up? In

landfills. Containers, plastic bags, and water bottles, face the same fate. California should pass

proposition SB-54 in order to cease the production of single use plastics, and regulate the use of

compostable alternatives for single use plastics. Passing the bill is practical because it is our

responsibility to reverse the damage done to the environment, compostable and biodegradable

alternatives help the environment, and other countries have recognized it as a step to protecting

our planet.

It is our responsibility to reverse the mistakes and harm we have done towards the

environment. A lot of money has been invested towards charities looking to clean up the

environment, but the first step is to stop production of single-use plastics. If this bill was

rejected, investing money into cleaning up the environment would be pointless. Why would you

invest money into cleaning up a mess that you are constantly creating? According to the report of

the LA times, “...global plastic production has reached 335 million tons a year and is projected to

more than triple by 2050” (Climate and Environment LA Times) There is already so much

garbage in the ocean, it is painful to envision three times the amount of it. Why add more? If this

bill is passed, the amount of plastics produced in California would be reduced, and all the
“garbage” inside landfills would be biodegradable, since the bill asks for the production of earth-

friendly containers and one time use items. We made this mess and it is our chore to clean it up.

Without the bill being passed, visualize the amount of damage it would cause towards sea life.

Sea turtles, seahawks, fish, marine are already at risk. Animal rights and protection organization,

Animal Friends Croatia, informs us that, “Plastic bags, once ingested, cannot be digested or

passed by an animal so it stays in the gut. Plastic in an animal’s gut can prevent food digestion

and can lead to a very slow and painful death” (Animal Friends Croatia). They face the horror of

choking to death, helpless, because someone decided to throw out their plastic soda rings and

their plastic grocery bag. We cannot allow for these innocent animals to die because of

something as simple as a plastic bag. Humanity is guilty for bringing forth this pain on animal

life, and passing this bill can help us take responsibility by preventing animal deaths, because of

the conversion of plastic to biodegradable items. With the bill replacing these single use plastic

items with perishable items, it will aid the restoration of the environment.

There are those who believe that banning plastics and replacing them with alternatives

may be impractical, and will not do anything for the environment. It would be unfeasible if

regular plastic straws ended up floating in the ocean. Fortunately, there are alternatives available

like bamboo, will decompose naturally if thrown away, according to National Geographic,

“Bamboo straws are reusable but can be hard to clean completely and may absorb flavors. When

it’s time to dispose of them, they’re easily compostable” (Planet or Plastic). It would be

impractical if the use of plastic straws continued, at least with bamboo straws, the waste would

not build up. Just by California replacing one time use plastic straws to bamboo straws, the

marine life residing besides us will not suffer. There has also been a type of plastic bag that is

100% safe to consume, according to Treehugger, “The bags are safe for insects and animals to
eat, both terrestrial and marine, and apparently they’re tasty, too, as seen in this video of crayfish

and chickens fighting over the edible bags. When dissolved in hot water, Avani claims they're

even safe for humans to drink” (Treehugger). Once the California plastic ban bill is in place,

companies could have the opportunity to invest in bags that are 100% environmentally safe, even

sea life and land life will receive a small meal from consuming these bags. The Bali company

that creates the edible plastic bag believes in no more waste, and we should too, like other

businesses in countries such as the Philippines.

Businesses in the Philippines have already kickstarter their bamboo-made straw, and

globally it has inspired almost 130 countries to join. As claimed by ABS CBN news, the

Philippines, “In 2015, France and other parts of Europe banned single-use plastics. By Jan. 1,

2021, Europe will be the first continent to completely ban all single-use plastics such as cotton

buds, coffee stirrers and straws” (ABS CBN News). If other countries like France, has joined,

then there is hope that other states in the United States will immerse themselves in biodegradable

substitutes for single-use plastics. The bill will inspire other states to follow, and then plastic

waste would be cut back. For every good thing comes a toll, and the items will be expensive to

produce, but no price can be placed the sake of humanity and earth. Consumers have also been

willing, according to AgEcon, “The results of the study show that participants were willing to

pay a price premium for biodegradable containers but the premium is not the same for different

types of containers” (AgEcon). Sacrificing money, in order to push for a less polluted

environment is significantly better than wasting money on one time use consumer products that

will end up in the ocean. People are willing to help the environment, but currently, they do not

have any set “last-minute” alternatives to allow them to do so. If the bill is in place, people will

be able to make that choice and purchase recyclable and biodegradable one time use containers
and bags in the nick of time. Spending money will go a long way too, it will force consumers to

depend on their reusable items such as tote bags. Ultimately, if these items were to be more

expensive, nobody would purchase them, they would rather stick to their one-dollar reusable bag

than purchasing 10 compostable bags for one trip. If they do purchase the compostable bag, it

will decompose and pose no harm in the environment.

It is fatal that the bill is passed because it is our duty as citizens to counter the damage

done to the environment, replacement items are biodegradable, and other countries

acknowledged that it as a step to protecting our planet. Sea turtles, seahawks, fish, marine are

already at risk. The plastic bags that turtles mistake for jellyfish? Hungry sea turtles are doomed

to suffering once they consume that. The little plastic water bottle caps that seabirds mistake for

bits of food? The bird corpses found on beach are deteriorating but the plastic in them is vibrant

and unchanged. Plastic pieces that fish can easily swallow? You cannot wait to consume a

freshly caught tuna, but once you open its stomach to de-gut it, plastic bits pour out, and the fish

is inedible. Now triple the amount of times it will happen. The amount of devastation, and if this

bill is not pushed in 2020, California’s beaches will be garbage havens. The way humanity

balances the earth on the tip of its finger is frightening.

Works Cited:

“Bill Text.” Bill Text - SB-54 Solid Waste: Packaging and Products.,

leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB54.
Gibbens, Sarah. “Want to Ditch Plastic Straws? Consider These.” Here Are 7 Alternatives

to Plastic Straws, 13 June 2019,

www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2019/07/rethinking-plastic-straws-consider-these-

options/#close.

AFC - How Plastic Bags Affect Wildlife, www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr/index.en.php?id=934.

R., Charles, et al. “Are Consumers Willing to Pay More for Biodegradable Containers than

for Plastic Ones? Evidence from Hypothetical Conjoint Analysis and Nonhypothetical

Experimental Auctions.” AgEcon Search, 1 Jan. 1970,

ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/60968/.

“It's Crunch Time for California's Plan to Phase out Single-Use Plastics by 2030.” Los

Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sept. 2019,

www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-09-04/plastics-single-use-containers-california-

recycling-crisis.

“Awesome Alternatives To Single-Use Items.” Good On You, 7 Jan. 2019,

goodonyou.eco/awesome-alternatives-to-single-use-items/.

“Plastic Pollution Coalition.” Plastic Pollution Coalition,

www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/.

Alcantara-Rivera, Mary Anne, and ABS-CBN News. “Pinoy Pitches Bamboo-Made Straw

to French Firm.” ABS, 10 May 2019, news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/05/10/19/pinoy-pitches-

bamboo-made-straw-to-french-firm.
Martinko, Katherine. “This Plastic Bag Is Edible, Compostable, Even Drinkable.”

TreeHugger, Treehugger, 11 Oct. 2018, www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-

design/plastic-bag-edible-and-fully-biodegradable.html.