Dilemma of Banning Single-use Plastic Bag
Plastic bags were invented about 50 years ago as an alternative to paper grocery bags. Many believes that single use plastic bags become a serious environmental and economical problem.
Objectives
Apply knowledge obtained in this course to examine an economic issue(s) in real world.
Demonstrate the written communication, social responsibility, and critical thinking skills.
Demonstrate intercultural competence and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.
Time
The time estimated to complete the Social Responsibility Assignment is 90 – 120 minutes.
Instructions
1. Read and watch the attached background materials on this issue:
1.1. General information on plastic and single-use plastic bags
Plastics: Material-specific Data, (Links to an external site.)
Texas Campaign for the Environment. Single-use Bags, (Links to an external site.)
State Plastic Bag Legislation (Links to an external site.)
India will ban single-use plastics next year to cut pollution — experts say that’s not enough,
Link
1.2. Discussions on environmental and economic concerns
As plastic bag bans go into effect, some question the unintended consequences –
Texas’ Failure to Ban Plastic Bags is Stressing the Environment –
The Cost Of Plastic Packaging, Alexander Tullo –
10 Reasons Why Plastic Bags Should Be Banned,
Additional Information about single-use plastic bags .docx
2. After you learn the background material, answer the following questions:
Question 1: Issue Summarization (Criteria 1 in Rubric)
Briefly discuss the important points about this issue in a short summary (roughly 1 paragraph. Hint: a rule of thumb for summarizing an issue is to include brief answers to Who, What, When, Where, Why. Your goal is to briefly explain this issue to someone who knows nothing about it). See Criteria 1 (7.5 points.)
Identify and explain how at least five groups or organizations would be affected by banning single-use bags (For example, citizens, regulatory agencies, etc.) See Criteria 1 (7.5 points.)
Question 2: Looking at Both Sides (Criteria 2 and 3 in Rubric)
Identify at least two pros and two cons of banning single-use bags. See Criteria 2 (20 points.)
Identify your position as to support for a ban on single-use plastics. See Criteria 3 (15 points.)
Question 3: Supporting Position and Taking Action (Criteria 4 and 5 in Rubric)
Support the position you took in Question 2 with economic reasoning, citing at least one economic principle you used to arrive at your position. (Cite the principle as it is done in Ch.1 in the text). See Criteria 5 (15 points.)
What civic action would you take to support your opinion and express your civic duty. Note: It’s about your personal actions / your personal civic duty. See Criteria 4 (15 points.)
Use the criteria and make sure that you answer the questions.
Completion
Social Responsibility Assignment (File types: doc, docx) should be submitted on Canvas. When you upload your paper on Canvas, it will automatically be sent through Turnitin’s repository.
Double-space the text of your paper (doc, docx) and use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). The font size should be 12 pt. In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor’s name, the course, and the date. Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number.
Your essay should not be over 1-1/2 pages in length.
Works Cited page (MLA format) should include articles you used to form / support your opinion. See Criteria 7 in Rubric (10 points.) Chat with a librarian if you need help with MLA format (link to chat is on library home page).
Grammar requirements for answers. See Criteria 6 in Rubric (10 points.)