A number of years ago, there was a major push for individuals to eliminate or improve upon their use of plastic straws. This movement has died down and become forgotten, but it needs to be brought back! Plastic straws are not biodegradable, and pollute our waterways. We our putting ourselves and our wildlife in danger by using the straws. So stand with me and join the movement to pass on the straw the next time you eat out, or start using recyclable or biodegradable straws!

Everyone loves ocean life! The rarity and beauty of those beautiful creatures fascinate us, so we should do everything in our power to protect those creatures. Several years ago, National Geographic released a video of several scientists extracting a plastic straw from the nostril of a turtle. The team was unable to provide an explanation of how this straw got stuck inside the turtle's nose, but encouraged all viewers to pass on the plastic.

Here's the link to the video (viewer discretion is advised).

Every plastic straw that was ever made still exists in some form. Approximately, 500 million straws are used in the United States on a daily basis, and very few of those can even be recycled because of the presence of the chemical, BPA. This chemical can also leak into our water and cause serious health issues. The straws used in one day in the US could circle the planet twice so just because you don't see an abundance of this waste doesn't mean it isn't present. In 2016, an Australian scuba diver found 319 plastic straws in a single dive; she repeated the dive a day later and found an additional 294 in the same location.

Several have been inspired by the Australian diver's efforts. Harriet Spark, a former social media coordinator for "One Million Women", found 150 straws on her dive.

Straws are easily swept up in ocean currents and are on the list of ten most popular forms of ocean and beach debris. If you're set on using these little drink enablers, consider ordering some of these off of Amazon:

These are reusable, silicone straws. They are FDA approved, and also come with cleaning brushes so you don't have to worry about gunk building up inside of them. The pack of several makes it easy for you to carry your own straw with you by leaving one in your purse, car, or wherever is easily accessible!

So the next time you're considering using a straw, think about the sea turtles! Consider just passing on straws altogether, or finding a more eco-friendly alternative to plastic straws!