​Kaaliyah Medina

English 4

4/23/19

Plastic is not being recycled so it ends up as waste in oceans. People should recycle

plastic because it is polluting oceans and harms sea creatures. There are even sea creatures such

as sea turtles that get plastic wrapped around their neck. This shows that when the plastic ends up

in the ocean from people not discarding their plastic correctly, the sea creatures have to deal with

the consequences. As time goes on this issue gets worse and worse. ​Others say that people with

disabilities need straws which contradicts the argument of stopping plastic pollution. However,

people with disabilities can use metal straws that they can reuse unlike plastic ones that are only

one use. In conclusion, we need to start recycling and replace plastic with reusable things such as

metal straws because those that are one use eventually end up in the ocean harming sea creatures.

People should recycle plastic, because it is becoming waste that pollutes oceans. A recent

article by encyclopedia stated, “Studies have found that all kinds of species, including small

zooplankton, large cetaceans, most seabirds, and all marine turtles, readily ingest plastic bits and

trash items such as cigarette lighters, plastic bags, and bottle caps.”​ This evidence concludes that

because of people not recycling plastic the sea creatures have to deal with the consequences of

plastic obstructing their system. Also, more and more sea creatures are beginning to die and we

need to put an end to this and start recycling because it is not fair that our wildlife have to deal

with the consequences from horrible actions society has made.

 ​Kaaliyah Medina

English 4

4/23/19

People should also replace plastic with reusable objects. ​An article from the Surfrider

foundation clearly states this in their article, ​“The amount of plastic produced from 2000 - 2010

exceeds the amount produced during the entire last century. In 2010 about 690,000 tons of waste

HDPE plastic "bags, sacks and wraps" were generated in the United States, but only 4.3% of this

total was recycled.” This statement concludes that out of a small percentage of plastic being

thrown away only a small percentage was recycled. Because of this we can easily replace plastic

with things that easily decompose if they were to not get recycled.

On the other hand, some people might argue that people with disabilities need straws.

Society needs to start recycling for a better planet and also start to stop the use of plastic. As

Maria Godoy explains, ¨Reusable straws need to be washed, which not all people with

disabilities can do easily. And metal straws, which conduct heat and cold in addition to being

hard and inflexible, can pose a safety risk.¨ This evidence is demonstrating that people with

disabilities can't use reusable straws because of the task that needs to be done of cleaning it to be

able to reuse it. Yes, it is a safety risk and might be hard to clean but that just comes with being

careful and getting the help people with disabilities need to get everyday tasks done. Therefore,

people with disabilities and others should start using metal straws to better our oceans on not

making them polluted with plastic.

In conclusion, ​people should recycle plastic and replace it with reusable things because it

is polluting oceans and harming sea creatures. People should recycle plastic because sea

creatures are being found with plastic and other harmful substances in their system. They should
 ​Kaaliyah Medina

English 4

4/23/19

also start replacing plastic with reusable things. ​Others say that people with disabilities need

straws which contradicts the argument of stopping plastic pollution. However people with

disabilities can use metal straws that they can reuse unlike plastic ones that are one use.

Therefore, people need to start recycling and replace plastic with reusable things such as metal

straws because those that are one use and other plastics eventually end up polluting the ocean

harm sea creatures.