Lately, Eco-awareness has been on the merge. Companies such as Starbucks, Plato's Closet, Ikea, and Nike are environmentally friendly and have taken steps to find sustainable ways to grow. The global goal has been to protect resources already available since we have a better understanding that our resources are not infinite, so we must protect our planet Earth.
Starbucks recently announced that they would replace plastic straws for adult sippy cups. By 2020, all Starbucks stores will have converted to paper straws and sippy cups that are recyclable. This shift will help eliminate more than 1 billion plastic straws globally per year. Plastic straws make up of 99% of the global straw market.
Plastic straws are made from a byproduct of petroleum which requires a large amount of energy and resources to extract and use. These end up being piled up in landfills. These straws take 200 years to fully break down but break down into small microplastics. Plastic straws and other non-decomposable items are a big threat to wildlife when not disposed of properly. Plastic straws are one of the top five most common items found on coastal shores.
Although on the opposing side they are accessible for people with disabilities, hopefully, this can create ideas of single-use consumption such as bags. Straws should still be accessible for the disabled that it is difficult to lift drinks to their lips. People with disabilities should always be included with changes in such an ableist community. This one act of using less plastic straws can start a domino effect of bringing awareness to how we treat the ecosystem with our pollution and trash. Plastic can kill marine life through them accidentally digesting them or getting choked. Plastic can also emit a chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA) that messes with our hormones and can be carcinogenic.
This campaign is about the big picture of awareness of how society freely uses single used plastic. We take for granted what our home has to offer and that we must sustain it by recycling, using biodegradable products, using fewer chemicals and harmful, educating ourselves, and voting on policies that change sustainability.
Small changes eventually create a bigger impact on society. There have been questions as to why care so much about the straw campaign; that stopping straws can't even create a big dent in the ecosystem when its only 4% of plastic waste created. But you have to start somewhere, and to take accountability is the first step. The straw issue creates a gateway to asking questions such as how much restaurants or companies consume non-biodegradable products, or what is an individual single carbon footprint. By ringing yourself, celebrities, cities, and companies, the government to accountability the goal is to raise awareness of the consequences of single-use plastic.
Some ways you can lower your plastic consumption:
Bring a reusable bag to the grocery store.
Use metal cups, utensils, and straws that you can bring around to use.
Consider going minimal zero waste.
Buy non-perishable foods in bulk and cook your own meals that you can put into reusable containers.
