A cold drink on a hot summer day is certainly refreshing, but it might be best to think twice before sipping from a straw.
Straws make up a tiny fraction of the estimated 8 million tons of ocean plastic, but their size makes them one of the most insidious polluters because they entangle marine animals and are consumed by fish.
In fact, straws are making their way onto the list of individual plastic products being banned, taxed or boycotted in some areas in an effort to curb seaborn plastic trash. France, for example, has banned plastic bags, along with plastic plates, cups and utensils, beginning in 2020. According to the National Park Service, Americans use 500 million straws daily.
“If you have the opportunity to make this choice and not to use a plastic straw, this can help keep this item off our beaches and raise awareness on plastic in the ocean,” Jenna Jambeck, an associate professor in UGA’s College of Engineering, told National Geographic. “And if you can make this one choice, maybe you can do even more.”
