Why Plastic Straws Are Being Banned

Plastic straws have been in many headlines recently. Popular celebrities like Kim Kardashian-West have made public announcements that they have completely cut out plastic straws from their homes and refuse to use them otherwise. Major cities like Calabasas, California, have banned them from their cities and big-time companies like Starbucks have also started making moves to eliminate them.

Back to Where It All Started

As statistics have shown, over 500,000,000 plastic straws are used every single day and a very large majority of them are being disposed of through regular trash cans. Because of this alone, these straws are being transported to large landfills. Oceans nearby are then becoming extremely polluted, causing marine life to be endangered. One story shows a sea turtle with a plastic straw in its nostril. This sea turtle is not the only one this is happening to. Many more sea creatures are being affected by this crisis and people are finally starting to take notice.

What You Can Do To Help

Well, that is simple and easy! Eliminate plastic straws and move to glass straws! Glass straws are multiple-use and do not have to be disposed of. Making the switch promotes better health to the environment and can save many sea creatures.

Plastic straws are not the only plastic problems.

Let me start off by saying, we have recycling bins for a reason! While it is easier to throw all of our waste into trash bins, it is not much more difficult to set aside plastic and any other recyclable items into a separate can! Many people a day make the mistake of throwing recyclable items into trash waste and eventually moves their way into a trash landfill. These plastic items are very hard to break down naturally and take many many years to do so. The plastic then moves its way into oceans, and/or unwanted places causing harm to the environment, animals, and even people. Animals will sometimes feed off of plastic and once it moves into their digestive system, it does not break down and eventually causes death.

Warning: The image below shows a duck that has died and the contents of plastic discovered inside it. (Sensitive content)

This duck was discovered decaying and the foreign objects inside were revealed. As you can see, many plastic items were found inside it such as a lighter. This is an example of what plastic waste is doing and can do to animals.

Will you join the pledge and not use plastic straws? Will you join the pledge to properly dispose of plastic correctly to save an animal? I hope your answer is yes! This has definitely become an epidemic and it will only proceed to get worse over time. Though this is not a new issue, light is starting to be shed upon it and us as people need to bring awareness and change to the issue. Start today by utilizing your recycling bins, and eliminating as much plastic use as possible. you can start today by simply eliminating plastic straws. Help save the environment and the beautiful creature that live in it. Are you with me?

Take the pledge today at http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/no-straw-please

By visiting this page you will be able to sign a pledge and become more educated about this issue. What are you waiting for? Make a difference!