Plastic Straws : What is the problem and what are we doing?
Image source: https://www.myflowater.com/blog/the-last-straw/straw-waste/
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Written by Alexandra Aur Over the past century there has been a significant increase in plastic deposits in our oceans. This is mainly because the majority of the plastics that are made are not biodegradable, so many of them continue to exist even after many years. Many blame this on the production and distribution of plastic bags, however what else can influence our oceans in such a negative way? The answer is simple, something we see in our everyday lives that most don't even think about. Straws. It's not all straws, but plastic straws are devastating our oceans. According to Ocean Conservancy, the world's oceans are filled with over 150 million tons of plastic. Whilst plastic bags and other waste are still a major threat to our oceans, the plastic straws have gone unnoticed for quite some time until recently. |
Although plastic straws have been overlooked for quite some time, this issue has been gaining more awareness as of recently. Companies such as Starbucks, are starting to take initiative by removing plastic straws from their products and promoting a more eco-friendly and biodegradable version.
Here at University Hill Secondary, we have tried to bring more awareness to this topic by selling reusable aluminium straws through the school's very own Me-to-We club. As a part of the Me-to-We club myself, I have personally seen how enthusiastic and dedicated each person is to this project. |
https://medium.com/green-horizons/plastic-straws-suck-3fe13840a82e
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Even within the school's regular classes, students are learning the importance of sustainability through a grade nine science project. These projects allow younger youths to develop solutions to the ongoing environmental issues that we as a society currently face and will continue to face in the future. Having taken part in these projects myself last year, I was happily surprised by the amount of effort that was put into each project. Through working on projects such as these, students, from an early age, are able to recognize the issues in our society and be able to think of creative and working ways to fix them; an ultimate life skill.
As the plastic waste issue is becoming more widespread it is important to remember that it remains a critical problem that should be considered with great seriousness.
As the plastic waste issue is becoming more widespread it is important to remember that it remains a critical problem that should be considered with great seriousness.
Works cited
- BBC News. “Starbucks to Ban Plastics Straws in All Stores by 2020.” BBC News, BBC News, 9 July 2018, www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-44774762?amp_js_v=a2&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCCAE=#referrer=https://www.google.com&_tf=From %1$s&share=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44774762.
- “These 8 Companies Are Ditching Plastic Straws. Here's How They Are Replacing Them.” Fortune, fortune.com/2018/07/11/ditching-plastic-straws-replacements/.