We all have seen this video that went viral of a turtle with a straw in its nose. Its nose is bleeding and it is crying for help while a marine biologist is removing the straw from its nose. It is heartbreaking to see such suffering from something that humans had a hand in. You can see how this affected society by some of these comments. GD Cryptic said “This is so hard to watch. I feel so bad for the turtle.” While Exotics Liar said “That is so sad..We are literally the worst species to be on this planet. All we are doing is killing the world.” While it is good that we actually have sympathy and are acknowledging our wrongs, it is still sad that it took the suffering of a poor turtle for us to final realize that we need to do something. Plastic straws are a huge problem. According to a study done by Science Advances, there are more than 8.3 billion plastic straws polluting the environment. Our actions are producing real consequences, and we are causing severe destruction. The video of the turtle sparked an outrage throughout the community that caused corporations to take a stand. Thus, comes the plastic draw ban.
It was so impactful that many corporations and even cities are coming up with solutions to reduce waste. Starbucks actually is planning to get rid of its plastic straws entirely by 2020 and replacing their lids with ones that are recyclable. They are called Nitro lids and work like sippy cups, so no straw is needed.
I actually work at Starbucks and I can say that that the speed of the transition was astounding. Not even a week after they announced the news, our location started using the recyclable lids. I am really proud of our location for taking such quick action in protecting our environment. Even customers were asking and requesting that they wanted the lids that were more eco-friendly. Starbucks has said that “the planet is our most important business partner.” The planet’s resources and life is finite. People often do not realize that because it is not something that can be easily distinguished. Starbucks is really committed in protecting the environment. You can see everything they are doing for the environment on their page. Fortunately, we are starting to realize that the damage we are causing to the environment is permanent and are fixing our mistakes. People are even changing their lifestyle to being more environmentally friendly, because they have been impacted in such a way. A movement that calls for banning plastic straws is gaining support. McDonald’s has also expressed their concerns for the environment and are working on creating alternatives to plastic straws. Cities with denser populations, such as New York City have pending legislation that calls for plastic straws to be banned. Recently, Seattle has become one of the first major cities to ban plastic straws along with San Francisco.
Major airlines also have joined the movement. American Airlines is the first major airline implement a ban on plastic straws. They will use biodegradable options instead. They have already started the process of phasing out plastic straws with ones made out of bamboo. Alaska Airlines are getting rid of their plastic stirring straws and replacing them with citrus picks. They are also providing the option of non-plastic drinking straws for customers that request for them. United Airlines has also joined by eliminating their plastic straws and cocktail picks. They also chose to use the material bamboo as an alternative.
Image by John Gress/Getty Images
There is more power in numbers. It is great that these big corporations are using their popularity and influence to not only educate, but also promote and put into use the idea of getting rid of/reducing plastic straws.
The ban on plastic straws is a step in the right direction. We have to continue to be active in keeping our environment clean. Do not just feel bad every time you see a poor animal suffering from pollution. Try to do something about it.
It is important for people to be award of this problem, because otherwise it defeats the efforts that are being made to solve the problem. I cannot tell you the numerous times that people have came into Starbucks and then put a straw in the Nitro lids that are meant to be strawless. It is important to educate people at times like this about such problems, so they do not continue doing it.
There might be some that are upset with the efforts to reduce or get rid of plastic straws. What are we going to drink Frappuccinos or other similar drinks that require straws? There are several solutions to this issue. Many companies are in the process of developing a more eco- friendly straw that is biodegradable made out of paper or compostable plastic. Others are working on creating a reusable straw that can be cleaned instead of thrown away.
To be entirely honest with you, I am a huge fan of straws. I use them with any drink that has ice in it. I understand the negative effects of straws, and lately I’ve been trying to use glass straws instead of plastic ones to reduce my effect on the environment. I’m glad to see massive companies and cities take action on environmental issues, but I’m not even sure straws are the place to start. Styrofoam never biodegrades, not even for millions or billions of years. It’s filled with carcinogens, and thousands of workers at styrofoam plants have contracted various forms of cancer. Hopefully our societal reaction to the straw turtle video can extend into other environmental dangers, like styrofoam use, gas-guzzling cars, or particularly harmful corporations.