If there is one common phrase I can strike from the pages of all academic writing, it would be “due to.” This phrase isn’t a problem in and of itself, but the sheer number of times it’s used is nearly villainous. Sometimes it’s even used back to back in one sentence, leading to a crashing muddle of words that bypass the point of the author.
“Due to” is a common phrase used in high school essay-writing, and it can be utilized to make a great piece, but it seems that students may be dependent on the phrase, worried that any similar term may be either too “basic” or too “professional” for their writing.
A good sentence using “due to” would be: “The amount of pollution in the ocean is primarily due to poor regulations on fishing and fishing equipment.”
A sentence that kills my heart would be: “The number of fish is decreasing due to pollution in the ocean that is due to poor regulations on fishing and fishing equipment.”
I think a lot of people get told in high school not to say “because of” or to start a sentence with “because.” Teachers make the claim that these phrases are too basic or easy for the high school level of writing, or they believe that allowing a sentence to start with ”because” will generate only fragments. Strike this from your mind. It is absolutely acceptable to start with “because” as long as it carries through to make a complete sentence (and, it’s often easier). I’d much rather hear “Because of poor regulations on fishing and fishing equipment, oceans are becoming polluted, leading to a decreasing number of fish” than I would that second sentence chain of “due to-s.”
Is it acceptable to use “due to?” Yes. Can you even use it twice in a sentence and have that sentence be grammatically accurate? Yes. Do I hate the phrase? Absolutely.
Use “due to” if your heart is set on it. However, don’t forget that there are other ways of saying the phrase, such as “because of,” “on account of,” or “by virtue of.”