The Last Straw

Eric Haddad

Plastic pollution is no stranger to society. However, one of the biggest culprits is also one of the least suspected: straws. Straws seem too small to cause any harm, but when you take into account how many are used every day, their effect greatly increases.

Image result for straw pollution

Straws are one of the most found litter during beach and ocean cleanups. They cannot be recycled in most places, and they are not biodegradable (when a substance can be naturally broken down and digested by micro-organisms and then recycled into new organic molecules and life). The plastic used to make straws takes around 200 years to degrade (when a substance is just broken down into small pieces). The plastic may appear to go away, but the small, deconstructed pieces will forever remain on Earth. Even worse is that the degrading of plastic releases toxic chemicals that harm wildlife and the environment.

Aside from the chemical dangers that straws pose to animals, the straw itself greatly harm them. It is believed that by 2050, 99% of all sea bird species will have ingested plastic with a mortality rate of up to 50%. Also, animals such as turtles get the straws stuck in their nostrils, blocking air flow and again causing death.

Image result for straw turtle

There is some good news, however. A few years ago, the United States used 500 million straws every day. As of 2017, that number went down to 390 million. Even though this is still a large number of straws, people are starting to realize their disastrous effects and ditching them. Unfortunately, not much can be done about the masses of discarded straws currently plaguing the ocean. The one thing that we can do is work together to stop the use and production of plastic straws. Alternatives such as metal straws have been on the market for some time now, but people are reluctant to purchase them to help the environment.

Image result for metal straws

What do you think about plastic straws? Do you believe that we can work to eliminate them altogether? Why are people reluctant to switch to metal straws instead of plastic? Are there other things that can be done to help the ocean already infested with plastic (from straws and other plastic items)?

Works Cited:
https://www.strawlessocean.org/faq/
https://get-green-now.com/environmental-impact-plastic-straws/

Comments

Anonymous said…
I thin plastic straws are not necessary at all. They are just used for convenience. People can easily pick up their glass of water and drink it, but instead they decide to remove that step and just use straws. We can easily eliminate straws if we wanted to, but many people think that straws are necessary. By showing them the image of that turtle, I think we can sway them. I would assume that metal straws do not bend, so that is the reason why people may not choose them. However, you really don’t need straws to bend. You just need to suck the water out of the cup. There is not too much we can do to save the ocean, but we can still cut down on usage and help out on land by showing others these metal alternatives and their benefits.
February 8, 2019 at 3:29 PM
Anonymous said…
I think that plastic straws are kind of unnecessary. Even though they may promote personal hygiene by making it so one’s lips doesn’t touch a cup which many have and make it so two people can share a drink without needing a cup, straws seem to be purposeless. People that are too lazy to pick the cup or bottle up to drink seriously need to reconsider if their “convienence” is worth it. Metal straws and reusable straws sound like a way way better option than plastic ones —-because really who needs a new straw for every beverage? People just don’t like to carry around a metal straw when there are plastic straws available and it’s like carrying around a metal spoon to a restaurant which has plastic spoons. Most people would choose the option where they do not need to lug around the straw— besides it’s “free” at the place they are eating. At home though I see no point to be using a straw. The ocean is already suffering from plastic and as of now all we can really do is get more helping hands and people that take action. Many may be aware of the plastic situation of the ocean, but they still sit still and wait for other people to sort it out.
February 8, 2019 at 9:40 PM
Anonymous said…
Metal straws are a wonderful alternative I have a little shelf my own yeti. Personally. I think the main reason that people continues the novelty that is plastic straws that they are a convenient/stable to a lot of American goods such as Capri Suns and juice boxes there something that you’ve always use since we were born but at the same time is something that is extremely unnecessary we can easily just pick up the glass like the person above said I was in there unnecessarily are causing such a huge impact on our ecosystem many people forget that the straws or something that causes such a large amount of issues since it is so small minuscule. Metal straws are a wonderful alternative I have a Metal straw for my own yeti. Personally. I think the main reason the people continues the novelty that is plastic straws that they are a convenience/staple to a lot of American goods such as Capri Suns and juice boxes there something that we’ve always used since we were born but at the same time is something that is extremely unnecessary we can easily just pick up the glass like the person above said unnecessarily are causing such a huge impact on to our buyer meant many people forget that the straws or something that causes such a large amount of issues since it is so small minuscule
February 9, 2019 at 6:10 PM
Anonymous said…
The accumulation over time of many of the seemingly harmless things humans do is extremely overlooked, and these statistics open my eyes to how deadly straws are to the environment. I think that raising awareness and companies who create straws to start making changes is what must be done to help reduce this issue. Unfortunately, there is already a lot of straws filling the ocean that must be cleaned up, and it would take a lot of effort to clean up the oceans. We would all need to work together and be willing to put in the work to benefit the environment which would in turn benefit us. We won’t be able to rid the oceans of all the straws we have polluted it with, but cleaning up and switching to metal straws is a step closer to a more sustainable world.
February 9, 2019 at 10:38 PM
Anonymous said…
Plastic straws have unnoticeabley held a big role in my life. Every time I go to eat out, I am given a plastic straw to accommodate my drink. Usually, I don’t think twice about the insane amount of waste that is accumulating from a seemingly minuscule thing. However, this past year the drastic movement to decrease straws has drawn my attention to the dangers they hold on marine life. Besides their destruction negatively impacting the atmosphere, they cause many marine animals to suffer. I believe that it is possible for us to make the switch to eradicating plastic straws. However, I believe this switch will take many years to achieve. Already, the public is buying metal straws, but many individuals don’t because they consider them an inconvenience and “unnecessary extra work.” It takes time to change a social dynamic within a country, so in order to make this switch permanent in the world many years will probably have to pass.
February 10, 2019 at 1:32 PM
Anonymous said…
I think that this is a sad problem for all the animals hurt by it. Straws are so common in day to day life that it's hard not to use them. Over the summer, Starbucks designed lids that function like sip cups to cut out the need for straw, and they give a discount to any customers that bring reusable cups with reusable straws. These are great starts to finding a solution to the straw issue. The problem is that most restaurants don't have these options. If you are taking a drink to go, it's a plastic straw or risk spilling it on the way home. There are also no safe ways to dispose of straws. I believe that if laws are passed supporting these things, or businesses change what they distribute, they problem can be improved greatly.
February 10, 2019 at 1:43 PM
Anonymous said…
My aunt, who works with a company that focuses on creating biodegradable products, have created silverware that are made of corn starch. The material is cut so that excess space isn’t wasted and the material can break down over time. By creating straws similar to these forks and spoons, we may be able to create products that are harmless to the environment. Along with this solution, I think that the general public should be more informed about the problem and have solutions on how to solve it.
February 11, 2019 at 10:38 AM
Anonymous said…
I agree with you 100%. I think people use them because they are free and are easy to acquire/use. Not every drink does need a straw and I rarely use one because the straw has little use to me for drinks such as soda or water. If I use a straw, I use a metal one at home in my yeti (big flex I know) but using the straw is a big “if”. The negative impacts of plastic straws out weigh the positives. Using a plastic straw for the thirty minutes you are in the restaurant isn’t worth the death of a sea turtle. Restaurants, in particular, need to make a change and switch to help cut down people’s use of plastic straws. This can really help but beyond that, people could wake up and realize the problems these straws are causing and make a change themselves.
February 11, 2019 at 10:43 AM
Anonymous said…
As many people have already commented, plastic straws are entirely unnecessary. Just because it’s more convenient, doesn’t mean it’s essential. I think the best thing to do would be to raise awareness. A lot of people have begun to talk about this, but many people still are unaware that straws in particular are dangerous for wildlife. Straws are so common that often times we don’t even think about using them. It takes all of us being more conscious and putting aside convenience to actually have some sort of impact.
February 12, 2019 at 6:47 AM
Anonymous said…
A problem that has haunted us for many years is the problem with how plastic straws can affect our environment. The small tubes can get up animals noses or go into their digestive system. Since plastic can’t be digested well, they continue to harm the animal and have to be removed surgically. The rising popularity of reusable straws is helping stop this problem, but its going to be hard to get the entire population to switch to reusable straws, since they are expensive and sometimes inconvenient. Something we could do is have trash cans solely for straws, so then the trash cans won’t overflow as much and cause the straws to drift away into the ocean.
February 12, 2019 at 9:23 AM
Anonymous said…
Plastic straws are nothing but a convenience we have been conditioned to see as normal. At restaurants, not receiving a straw to drink your drink with may be considered rude. California is implementing a rule where restaurants should not give straws to customers and if they would truly like a straw they will be given one. Plastic straws are cheaper than metal straws and more cleanly that reusing metal straws, but these benefits are far outweighed by the consequences they present in nature, especially due to the fact that they take so long to decompose in nature.
February 12, 2019 at 9:30 AM
Anonymous said…
I believe that we can get rid of all plastic straws. The world can go on without them. However, if people insist on using them, metal straws are a good replacement becuase you can reuse them more than one time, unlike plastic straws where you throw them away after one time use. Switching to a different kind of straw will prevent the already invested ocean from being more infested. Other things we can do to help the ocean is find out efficient ways to clean them out for a plastic free environment. People can pick up the trash that been littered or washed on shore.
February 12, 2019 at 11:14 AM
Anonymous said…
Straws in general are not essential to our daily life, so we can get rid of them altogether. But, if this is not possible, then we can utilize reusable straws rather than plastic straws. This will reduce the amount of litter and garbage we create while simultaneously helping wildlife in the oceans. I think that people are hesitant about this switch simply because it is a change in our daily lives, and most people are not good with any type of change, even with something as small and simple as the switch from plastic straws to metal straws. To help reduce litter that is already in the oceans, we can pick up after ourselves and clean up the oceans and environment.
February 12, 2019 at 11:42 AM
Anonymous said…
Straws are something that people use almost daily as people drink soda, water, and more from the restaurants. However straws are not consider something that is necessary. It is rather something that hurts the overall environment and species that live in the ocean. In my opinion, I think one way to get rid of the problems that the species are experiencing due to the straws is reducing the amount of straws used in restaurants or even cafes. Starbucks started getting rid of plastic straws in the U.S. and they are planning on getting rid of plastic straws globally by 2020. They even introdluced special lid that could replace the straws. Just like the Starbucks company’s effort, I believe we could limit the use of straws by enforcing a law or rule for all restaurants to stop using plastic straws.
February 12, 2019 at 6:57 PM
Anonymous said…
In my mind plastic straws are not necessary, however I do not think that it is possible to completely eliminate the use of them. People value convenience which is exactly what plastic straws bring. Despite the coveinences to the consumer that plastic straws provide, their use can still be reduced. If more people learn about the devastating effects that straws have on the environment, they will be more willing to reject the use of them. I believe that local restaurants should experiment with the use of reusable straws, and if they receive a positive reception, resteraunts and companies nationwide should adopt the use of them. Plastic straws are definitely convenient, but that doesn't outweigh the negative affect they have on the environment.
February 12, 2019 at 8:13 PM
Anonymous said…
I too agree that plastic straws are not needed like how some you tubers we see bring their own cups with the reusable, washable straws I think that we must use that. After knowing the consequences if we still act without thought, that is just ignorance. I think maybe if we increase the prices of plastic straws we could lessen the litter. Also continuing educating kids, using emotional ads to create awareness will help solve this problem.
February 13, 2019 at 10:52 AM
Anonymous said…
Convenience is the first for many consumers and restrauntst to be lazy basically. Although it is bad and all, the issue won’t most likely be fixed unless the banning of plastic straws would be implemented. Trusting companies to uphold a promise is like telling a person to not go into an oxygen less room and survive because most businessmen care more about their profits more than caring about the world. That’s what plastic straw will do for them. Imagine McDonald’s to change all of their disposable straws to reusable ones, that’s quite a lot of money being lost not only nationally but worldwide.
February 13, 2019 at 11:22 AM
Anonymous said…
People are so reluctant to change to metal straws because they like the convenience of plastic straws. Plastic straws are anywhere you look; convenience stores, schools, restaurants, etc. Humans like convenience. We love to have easy access to everything we want when we want in the fastest way possible. If we all work together to change our mindset from consuming to conserving, we could start eliminating straws and many other plastic problems on our Earth. We’ve become a lazy generation with our progressive technology and soon we will pay for it through our environment.
February 13, 2019 at 11:36 AM
Anonymous said…
I believe society in general has become one more focused on convenience than consciousness. Thus, many prefer to have an easily disposable plastic straw over having to carry a clanky and oddly-shape metal pipe around all the time. That is why I suggest eliminating straws in general. Rather than having to use the straws factories can manufacture cups and lids that have similar structure as coffee cups except designed for drinks. This will eliminate the demand for straws totally and also would significantly reduce the amount of plastic used per drink. Yes, plastic straws provide convienience, but to even function in a world of luxury where plastic straws can be used, we have to preserve that world, thus we must do away with plastic straws.
February 13, 2019 at 1:33 PM
Anonymous said…
This is an issue that could be stopped if everyone cared about the planet. Convenience is just too alluring to people for them to give up something as simple as the material of a straw for the earth. Maybe a metal straw is annoying to carry around with you, however maybe you do not need to. The only time straws are really used are at restraunts. Therefore, if restraunts have a supply of metal straws that they use just like they would silverware, that would eliminate that hassle. However, to-go cups with straws are a different problem. Maybe some biodegradable material could be used for these so that even if they do get disposed of improperly, they will basically take care of themselves.
February 13, 2019 at 2:40 PM
Anonymous said…
Plastic straws have no beneficial purpose other than convenience. They are used for less than 30 minutes and then wasted. People use them because they are free and to avoid germs. I think we can raise awareness of the negative impacts from using a straw. But most likely, people will not stop using straws because it is convenient for them and they don't understand how their one straw would harm the environment. I don't think people are reluctant to switch to metal straws as are restaurants. As soon as restaurants begin to implement this change, people will follow.
February 13, 2019 at 6:10 PM
Anonymous said…
I think that people often overlook how their daily routine and certain small things they do can often have a drastic change on the environment. That Starbucks drink you buy every morning is an action that has a small effect on environmental degradation. People are also too lazty to switch, and will continue using plastic straws simply due to the convenience factor. Only if we ban plastic straws, or as crazy as it may seem, levy a “straw” tax, these issues will continue to be overlooked, and people will not realize how large of a problem it really is. People do not want to move to alternative factors such as metal straws, or reusable cups simply due to laziness, and they will give excuses such as “oh, it tastes different,” and “it’s not the same,” and continue to simply beat around the bush. We need some form of legislation, or incentive for people using alternatives, in order to truly make a significant impact
February 13, 2019 at 6:24 PM
Anonymous said…
I think that even though the war against plastic has its heart in the right place, it is not that big of an issue in the large scale of things. Getting rid of straws will not magically get rid of the trash islands in the middle of our oceans. We could certainly get rid of all straws, but it will not be the ultimate problem solver. We must all be more conscious about how we use plastics, and other non biodegradable iobjects in our daily lives.
February 15, 2019 at 8:21 AM
Anonymous said…
While I use straws when drinking from a can because it was taught in my household that the can has loads of germs in it, I still find it amazing how straws are such an inconvenience. After reading your article about how straws produce a lot of waste a year, it makes me think that using straws throughout my life was just counterintuitive. I believe that people can make use of metal straws because they are reusable and not a one time use like straws. However, I do not see people stop using straws because most people are too lazy to realize how much of an impact their actions have on the Earth and the environment.
February 15, 2019 at 5:57 PM
Anonymous said…
It’s crazy to think how much a tiny piece of plastic affects the earth. Most of the problem lays in the fact that most people are lazy and bringing metal straws to places because it is inconvenient. There is also the price factor, as buying metal straws is more expensive. However, if more restaurants and drink shops start using biodegradable and recyclable straws, more people would be compelled to start using them. Even though the ocean has already been highly polluted, we can stop adding to it by switching to renewable straws and avoiding plastic.
February 16, 2019 at 8:22 AM
Anonymous said…
I have actually been aware of this problem for quite some time now. My family and I have purchased several metal straws which we have been using for about 5 months now. The number of plastic straws we were going through on a weekly basis was way too much and after we noticed that, we decided to do something about it. If everyone would realize the huge effect that straws have on the world, they would probably do something about it. However, many people are not informed enough about this topic and they should educate themselves more on it.
February 18, 2019 at 12:00 PM
Anonymous said…
I believe that plastic bottles do more harm than plastic straws: they're more plentiful and larger. And the biggest culprits are plastic bags, which takes a thousand years to degrade. One method to end the plastic straw crisis is to do what China did with plastic bags: simply ban them. Like plastic bags, there are easy alternatives to plastic straws, mainly drinking without a straw.
February 18, 2019 at 10:46 PM
Anonymous said…
At this point in time, with people realizing the effect of plastic straws in the environment, it’s a wonder why everyone hasn’t converted to using metal straws. I believe the main reason that people have not made the switch, is convenience. Plastic straws are cheaper and available to buy in bulk. It seems that people care more about their wallet then the environment. However, because of how drastic the change from 2017 that you mentioned is, in a couple years I think we will have almost completely eliminated the use of plastic straws.
February 23, 2019 at 8:10 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What's the deal with airline food?

Image
Paula Cao You ever notice how airline food tastes like your dentist's waiting room floor? You have your little bowl of pasta, and it looks like they fished it out your sink drain. And you can't bring food onto the plane, so you're stuck with either hours of not eating the food or hours of wishing you hadn't eaten the food. And they spend half an hour pushing the little cart and blocking the aisle so you can't get to the bathroom, which strangely enough, smells exactly like what you just ate. But even worse than eating airline food (hard to believe) is the waste airline food generates. The last time I was on a plane, I had two meals. Everything was individually wrapped: the bread, the main course, two sides, even the Kit-Kat bar that was already in a wrapper. Everything came in these plastic containers. Seems like a ton of waste. Every tray of food brought onto the plane is thrown away, even if no one eats it (due to health concerns), which is quite wasteful....
Read more

What We Can Recycle

Image
Ryan Oh Recycling. An option that all of us can directly take that, supposedly, shouldn’t be very hard to do. I mean, so often we are told to recycle what we can, but of those times how many resulted in the recycling of un-recyclable items? Yes, recycling technology has been improved upon, and now we have a wider array of recyclable options, however there are still many items that are thought to be recyclable but are not. For example, plastic bags. Yes, these can be recycled it’s just how we recycle them. By gathering recyclables in plastic bags or recycling the baggies in general, we cause problems for recycling equipment resulting in jams, contamination of paper bales, and interference in compost facilities. What we can do to prevent plastic bags from becoming our demise is to give them to recycling programs that focus exclusively on them. Oftentimes, grocery stores offer plastic bag pick-up and drop-off programs. If you don’t have such a grocery store near you, keep a bag collec...
Read more

Land Pollution Is Not The Solution

Image
Rishit Podder Land Pollution We talk about water and air pollution all the time but land pollution as well as a big impact on the environment as it is continuously polluted and vulnerable. Land pollution simply means degradation of the earth’s surface as a result of human activities like mining, littering, deforestation, industrial, construction and agricultural activities. Land pollution can have a huge environmental impact in the form of air pollution and soil pollution which in turn can have an adverse effect on human health. There are many causes of land pollution, but the main concern is deforestation and soil erosion. Deforestation results in dry land which mean that it can never be fertile again. The problem with that is that the land will eventually become unstable for farming and other crops. In addition, the land will also become polluted by heavy metals such as lead and mercury. It is estimated that over 50 percent of all earth's surface water has been polluted b...
Read more