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Winning Position: Ban Them!
Americans consumed 13.7 billion gallons of bottled water in 2017 - more than any other beverage by volume - boosting an industry worth $18.5 billion. [8] 67.3% of bottled water sold in the United States is in single-serve plastic bottles. [42] 70% of those plastic water bottles are not recycled. [1] Globally, about 20,000 plastic bottles are bought every second, the majority of which contain drinking water. [49] In 2013, Concord, MA, became the first US city to ban single-serve plastic water bottles, citing environmental and waste concerns. [44] Since then, many cities, colleges, entertainment venues, and national parks have followed suit, including San Francisco, the University of Vermont, the Detroit Zoo, and the Grand Canyon National Park. [17] [26]
Tied Positions: It's a waste! vs. Keep it!
The US Mint shipped 8.4 billion pennies for circulation in 2017, more than all nickels (1.3 billion), dimes (2.4 billion), and quarters (1.9 billion) combined. [1] While countries such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand have phased out their one-cent pieces, Harris Poll found that 55% of Americans are in favor of keeping the penny and 29% want to abolish it. [2][3]The US Mint produces coins as instructed by Congress, so a law would have to be passed by Congress and signed by the President in order for pennies to be removed from circulation. [4] Several unsuccessful legislative efforts have sought to bring about the penny's extinction. Most recently, in 2017, Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Mike Enzi (R-WY) sponsored ultimately failed legislation that would have suspended minting of the penny. [5]