WITH OVER 8 MILLION TONNES OF THE STUFF ENTERING THE OCEANS EVERY YEAR, IT'S NO SECRET THAT PLASTIC CERTAINLY IS NOT FANTASTIC. HOWEVER, SOME PLASTIC ITEMS ARE WORSE THAN OTHERS.
Single-use plastic is a particularly nasty form of plastic. These items have a shockingly short lifespan, normally used once and then discarded to landfill. Like other plastics, they never biodegrade and take hundreds of years to break down. Plastic straws are one such single-use item, and are ending up in our oceans by the thousands.
Why are straws so damaging to the marine environment?
Disposable straws are usually made from plastic and plastic never breaks down. As time goes by plastic will separate into smaller and smaller pieces, but never completely biodegrades. Plastic is quickly transforming our oceans into plastic soup, with an estimatedIn USA alone, 500 million straws are used every single day. We use straws for around twenty minutes before we toss them away, which is an astonishingly quick lifespan for an item that will be on the planet forever. Straws also contain BPA, and can't be recycled.
"With this art installation/sculpture of a beached whale here in Naic, Cavite made out of recovered plastic waste, we hope to spread awareness on the effect of plastics on our oceans, on wildlife, and on people," said Greenpeace Southeast Asia Executive Director Yeb Sano in a Facebook post.
It can be hard to see how using one measly plastic straw is going to cause huge amounts of damage to the environment, but let me put in to context for you. Recently a team of scientists in Costa Rica came across an endangered species of sea turtle with what they thought was a parasitic worm blocking its airway. They realised it was actually a plastic straw. Hours from veterinary help, the scientists successfully dislodged the straw themselves and released the turtle back into the ocean. The team filmed their efforts, and you can watch the grim ordeal below.
While watching a distressed turtle have a straw pulled out of its nose isn't the most feel good viewing, footage like this plays an important and vital role in regards to raising awareness. This clip had more than 5 million views, and shows exactly what can happen if your discarded plastic straw makes its way into the ocean. Making a connection between our actions and the often-devastating outcomes they can have on the environment acts as a catalyst for change.
What can YOU do to help?
Say 'no' next time someone offers you a straw! There are alternatives like glass or stainless steel straws you can buy online. These come with a cleaner and are re-usable!
Here are mine:
Sources:
http://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/straws-why-they-seriously-suck/