It's something I never used to really think about. Then gradually, an awareness grew, somewhat uncomfortably, every time I sipped a drink through a straw.
It's almost like a missing link in the landfill story. Plastic bags, yes. It's easy to understand how they should be an absolute no-no. But plastic drinking straws...come on, seriously, they're so small and light they can't be a problem, can they? |
And they're used just once, then tossed out into the garbage.
Because they're so light, and unobtrusive, it's easy to forget the sheer number of them. But they don't degrade in a landfill.
They easily fly all over the landscape, and find their way into oceans. There they damage life for sea dwelling animals.
I know we all love happy stories, but sometimes it's a matter of learning from painful experiences that makes us become better in our own lives. To prove the point, here’s a challenge. Watch this simple video, then carry on using straws without thinking, if you can. A humble sea turtle went viral, and drew awareness to the shocking, appalling pain that even one straw can cause.
And think about it, every time you do, you're reducing the 500 million plus straws that are discarded after one use, each day.
In Kenya a bunch of enterprising women came together to solve their economic problems by working just like Rapunzel, turning straws into ‘gold!’ Do take a look at this wonderful project.
I've decided to go biodegradable paper
By the way, I’ve ordered my paper straws from Amazon today.