Group Debate Note.

GROUP 2
Topic: Plastic should be banned? (Opposition Team)
Members:
Nguyễn Ngọc Minh Anh - 21000394
Nguyễn Ngọc Minh Tuyền - 21001098
Đinh Lê Uyên Phương - 21001086
Đặng Gia Bảo (Kailee) – 21000444
Đặng Hoàng Ngọc Trân - 21000593

Role – Main Idea:

 Introduction – Closing: Minh Anh
 Argument 1: Plastic industry contributes to creating more job opportunities and boosting
the national economy - Minh Tuyền
 Argument 2: Uyên Phương
 Argument 3: Need to change our habits and increase plastic recycling activities instead
of banning them outright - Gia Bảo (Kailee)
 Rebuttal: Trân + 2 random members in group

Script:
 Introduction: (Minh Anh)

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our debate. It is our honor to be here today to
discuss the issue: Should plastic be banned?
We, as today's opposition team, strongly believe that plastic should not be banned.
Our team have structured our case as follows:
Minh Tuyền , as the first speaker, will be talking about The plastics industry's impact on
both job opportunities and the national economy.
Our second speaker, Uyên Phương, will elaborate on the fact that Plastic is less
environmentally damaging than other sources.
And finally, our last argument: we should change our habit of using plastic instead of
banning it outright, will be presented by Kailee (Gia Bảo)

 Argument 1: (Minh Tuyền) - Plastic industry contributes to creating more job

opportunities and boosting the national economy
 Plastics are indispensable things in life because they are cheap to produce and versatile
for many manufacturing industries. And plastic is a vital part of the value chain from
clothing to medical devices to food and beverages.  The demand and production of plastic
have been increasing over and over years.
And the number will  grow to 540 million metric tons a year by 2040. The plastic
industry is one of the largest manufacturing industries in the world. Thus, plastic
production is an opportunity for many countries. 

Firstly, the plastic industry contributes to creating thousands of job opportunities

for citizens. For example, according to the Plastic Industry Association, the plastic
industry in the USA employed nearly 1 million jobs in 2017.
If the plastic industry were banned, the country would encounter the risk of widespread
layoffs, which is the financial burden on the countries
Furthermore, the national economy is boosted due to the development of the plastic
industry. In Vietnam,  according to the World Bank, in 2019, Vietnam’s plastics industry
contributed US$17.5 billion to the national economy, representing 6.7 % of GDP   
And for all of these reasons, plastic should not be banned because of the benefits for job
opportunities and the national economy.

 Argument 2: (Uyên Phương)

Plastic seems to be one of the most hated things on the earth but when it comes to things
like climate change paper and cotton bags are actually much worse for the planet than
plastic. So let me explain why plastic has less damage compared to other materials.
Like when pp look at the environmental impact they tend to focus right at the end of the
life cycle analysis, they see the plastic pollution that’s a massive problem but what far
fewer people see is right at the beginning the production side. In fact, the plastic bag was
originally invented to save the planet.
Back then in 1959 in Sweden pp used paper bags a lot , and for those, of course they
needed to cut a thousand trees which wasn’t  exactly great for the planet. And another
benefit I’d like you to consider is that this material is light, waterproof and would last for
ages then u can easily wash it and use it over and over again. This will bring a positive
outcome: fewer trees being chopped down which would be better for the environment.
The problem is not the plastic, but we are too lazy to keep it, we just throw it away after
we are done. And just remember it guys plastic is not single use but they undoubtedly
became single-use. From the beginning,Gustas Tulen, the inventor of plastic bags,
intended to make this become a recycled substance. To solve this phenomenon,
authorities charge you for a plastic to minimize the amount of plastic going out on the
environment. About the cotton products, they’re currently wasting many sources like
water oil as twice as plastic according  to the United nations environment program. To
conclude, plastic should be managed carefully to preserve our earth.
 Argument 3: (Gia Bảo – Kailee) - Need to change our habits and increase plastic
recycling activities instead of banning them outright

The third main point in my group's view is that we need to change our habits and increase
plastic recycling activities instead of banning them outright. Why I say that, because
almost everything around us nowadays is made up of plastic., for example: cup,
shampoo bottle, bath soap, toilet brush… So in order to remove it from our lives is
impossible, we need to change our habits and not ban Plastic. Therefore, may I assume
that Plastic waste is only of concern when it is not collected and reused. Yet, for such
concern, enforcing prohibitive laws and heavy fines such as jailing those who are caught
littering in public places, thereby forming a habit and mindset in people's minds is the
considered possible solution. By that I mean, all plastic should be recycled appropriately
and reused instead of discarded. Like in Sweden they don't get rid of plastic instead they
put in place "No Plastic Ban, instead More Plastic Recycling", most of Sweden's waste
is burned in incinerators. The system is so good that less than one percent of Sweden's
household waste is in landfills. In addition,. In India there are even houses built of hard
plastic and bamboo based on the malleability of plastic. And it is important to consider
here that in the future, there will be a professional waste treatment system that can
both reduce a large amount of unemployment and improve people's living
standards.  To conclude, plastic should be managed, not banned.

 Rebuttals: (Prediction)
Counter 1: Consumers may shift to worse alternatives.
Refutation 1: According to an interview with chemistry professor David Tyler that was
put on the University of Oregon's website, plastic bags really cause less stress on the
environment than paper or cotton bags. They use less water, fewer chemicals, and emit
less greenhouse gases than the other two choices. Plastic bags have half the carbon
footprint of cotton or paper bags. It may seem strange to believe that plastic is less
dangerous than natural fibers such as cotton, yet it is. Plastic bags use fossil fuels, a
nonrenewable resource, and are permanent, entering the waste stream forever. They may
cause more pollution on land and in waterways, but have less effect on climate change
and land use than other types of bags.

+ Rebuttal 2:  Using alternative materials to replace plastic in our life —-----> There are
countless things made from plastic.
If it were just a matter of getting rid of plastic bags or plastic bottles, it would be easy to
do. Still, here we are talking about plastic materials, of which we all know that there are
countless things made from plastic and it exists all around us such as a pen, a phone
charger or even the components of the phone you are using. Taking an iphone 13 for
example, Apple uses 35 percent or more recycled plastic in 12 components. Then pose a
question. If plastic is eliminated, will it be easy, and what materials can replace it? 
  
+ Final rebuttal: The answer is that plastic is causing deaths on its own. Rather,
irresponsibility pertaining to plastic is causing deaths in both humans and animals. Like
my teammate Uyen Phuong mentioned before, plastic is not single use but they
undoubtedly became single-use.  It would be more useful to encourage responsibility
pertaining to plastic because it is useful enough to keep around and we can minimize the
negative consequences of them through responsibility.

 Back-up (for Rebuttals):

+ Professor Rajagopalan Vasudevan of Thiagarajar Technical College in Madurai has

researched and used plastic to make road surfaces, it has become a reality and many
states in India are considering implementing the advanced tactic. this room to manage
their plastic waste
+ Paper takes up more space in landfills and does not decompose quickly. According to
North Suburban News, paper bags take up nine times the space of plastic bags and
degrade at roughly the same rate. Switching to biodegradable plastic bags is an option to
explore, but a ban on plastic bags will have little impact on landfills. In fact, assuming an
increase in paper bag usage, it might exacerbate the situation. 
+ While fabric bags are great for transporting dry foods, they can be quick to absorb
messes, leading to undesirable odors and potential for bacteria growth. In fact, a joint
study at the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University in California discovered
the presence of coliform bacteria in 51% of the 84 reusable grocery bags tested, with E.
coli present in 8%. To avoid these inconveniences and reduce the risk of contamination,
many shoppers request separate plastic bags for certain items at the checkout.

 Closing speech: (Minh Anh)

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome for the last time from today's opposition.
It is now my pleasure to summarize this debate
Our first argument is about the job opportunities that are affected by the plastic industry.
All the evidence and data we have mentioned above fully proved that f the plastics
industry were to be abolished, the country would face enormous layoffs. This not only
has a severe impact on people's lives and social welfare, but it also puts a strain on the
countries' finances.
The second point we want to make is that plastic is less harmful to the environment.
Because everyone focuses on the end of the life cycle analysis, they see plastic pollution
as a big concern, but in fact, paper and cotton bags are far worse for the environment than
plastic. Finally, with the benefits of selecting and utilizing plastic correctly, we feel that it
should be managed rather than outlawed.
The third major suggestion raised by my group is that, rather than outright prohibiting
plastics, we should adjust our habits and boost our recycling efforts. So, since eliminating
it from our lives is impossible, we must adjust our habits rather than outlaw it. Plastic
garbage only becomes a problem when it is not collected and reused. As a result, every
plastic should be recycled and repurposed.
 Reference

Apple.com. (2021). Retrieved 20 December 2021, from

https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/products/iphone/iPhone_13_PER_Sept2021.pdf.

CAScade: Paper or Plastic? The Answer Might Surprise You. Cascade.uoregon.edu. (2021).
Retrieved 20 December 2021, from https://cascade.uoregon.edu/fall2012/expert/expert-article/.

Plastic Europe. Plastic - The Facts 2019. An Analysis of European plastics production, demand,
and waste data. https://plasticseurope.org/knowledge-hub/plastics-the-facts-2019/

Plastic Industry Association (2019). Jobs in U.S. Plastic Industry Increase According to 2018
Size and Impact Report. https://www.plasticsindustry.org/article/jobs-us-plastics-industry-
increase-according-2018-size-and-impact-report

The World Bank (2021). Market Study for Vietnam: Plastics Circularity Opportunities and
Barriers. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/vietnam/publication/market-study-for-vietnam-
plastics-circularity-opportunities-and-barriers

UNEP (2018). From birth to ban: A history of the plastic shopping bag

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/birth-ban-history-plastic-shopping-bag

Williams, D. L., Gerba, C. P., Maxwell, S., & Sinclair, R. G. (2011). Assessment of the Potential
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