2 answers
★ Best answer
It's not that banning them is so simple to implement everywhere, and in the meantime plastic is cheap, convenient, and people don't want to think too hard about it. A lot of countries have banned them or cut back significantly, but in others it still hasn't happened because economic interests are strong and habits change slowly. Then there's the fact that many people don't even know they could use alternatives (reusable water bottles, public water fountains) or simply don't have them available when they need them.
The change starts with what you do personally: always carry a reusable bottle in your backpack or car, so when you're thirsty you're not forced to buy plastic. It sounds obvious but it really works, especially if you keep it within reach. Once it becomes automatic (like your keys or wallet) you don't go back.
But the real point is that a total ban would hurt a lot of people. Think about diabetics, people with severe food allergies, people with disabilities who can't carry containers around to refill: for them single-use plastic is often the only practical option. Glass bottles also cost more than plastic and are heavy, which makes them unrealistic for people who need to be out all day or have mobility issues. That's why governments do gradual steps instead of outright bans.
What would make sense is pushing companies toward alternative packaging and making recycling easy everywhere, not abolishing plastic overnight. In the meantime, each of us can choose, but it's not a moral failure if sometimes you buy a plastic bottle out of necessity. The real problem is that we produce tons of it unnecessarily when we'd have other options.
Your answer
Log into answer.