众所周知，塑料污染对环境有很大的危害，但使用塑料制品一定是件坏事吗？举个例子：生产一个塑料袋所消耗的自然资源以及运输它所产生的碳排放其实比生产和运输一个棉布袋所消耗的资源、产生的碳排放要少很多。如果可以重复使用这个塑料袋，而不是用过一两次后便将其丢弃，那么这个塑料袋对环境的危害并不一定比其它材质的袋子大。本文讨论塑料制品是否也有益处。

　　词汇：plastic pollution塑料污染

　　Cotton or plastic: which kind of bag is better for the environment? Many of us would naturally say that the cotton bag is best, but that might only be true if you use that bag thousands of times. Surprised? Keep listening and we'll explain.

　　There is no doubt that plastic is damaging for the environment in many ways. Producing it can cause toxins¹ to be released into the atmosphere. It's used in great quantities and often disposed of after a single use, meaning even more then needs to be produced. Thrown-away plastic can sit in landfill sites for centuries, or alternatively can contaminate the sea causing harm to wildlife and breaking down into polluting microplastics.

　　Because of these factors, many people are looking for ways to reduce their plastic use. However, the picture is not straightforward². Let's return to our cotton bag. It's certainly more biodegradable than plastic, but this might be where the advantages end. The industrial production of cotton requires far more energy, along with water and pesticides³. As the bags are heavier, transporting them will lead to higher carbon emissions⁴. An article from Columbia University suggests that cotton shopping bags need to be used over 7,000 times before they are more sustainable than plastic ones.

　　It's not just about shopping bags. Lightweight plastic components⁵ in cars and planes help reduce fuel use and emissions. If we didn't use so much plastic in clothing and footwear, the amount of land, water and chemicals that would be needed to produce enough natural textiles and leather would be enormous. Researchers have been looking to see if carbon could be sequestered⁶ during the production of plastics, reducing the amount in the atmosphere.

　　One other characteristic of plastic might actually be the key to this issue. The fact that plastic lasts for centuries is what causes much of the environmental harm, but it also means it can be used to make items that can be re-used again and again. The problem is that we often don't. Plastic can cause serious harm to the environment, and efforts to throw less of it away can reduce this. Re-using it more could be one way to achieve this.

　　词汇表

　　environment 自然环境

　　toxin 毒素

　　atmosphere 大气

　　dispose of 扔掉，处理

　　thrown-away 丢弃的

　　landfill 垃圾填埋场

　　contaminate 污染，毒害

　　microplastic 微塑料

　　biodegradable 可降解的

　　carbon emission 碳排放

　　sustainable 可持续的，不破坏环境的

　　plastic components 塑料零件

　　textile 纺织物

　　sequester 封存

　　harm 危害

 

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