One of the biggest detriments to the environment currently is the recycling of single-use plastic or really just plastic that cannot or is not recycled properly (e.g. unclean plastic, which ends up going to landfills). Last year, as part of an anti-pollution campaign, China halted imports on recyclables. Plastic is such a liability to the environment that activists and companies are trying to limit and extinguish the production and use of plastic.
Related: I Stopped Using Plastic Straws and You Should Too
Many organizations have launched anti-plastic campaigns, like Skip The Straw. In fact, George Mason University has pledged to rid of the use of straws in dining halls and other restaurants–such as Blaze Pizza–around campus. National Geographic established Planet or Plastic?, an initiative to dissuade individuals from using plastics goods. It details the enormous amount of plastic waste spread into oceans each year and what exactly that does to marine life.
In an effort to be more environmentally conscious, I finally bought a metal straw–with a cleaner and all–to limit my use of straws while purchasing drinks that typically require them while eating at restaurants or bringing home takeout orders.
So far, it has gone so well. Using a metal straw for my drinks has not at all inconvenienced me in shape or form. The metal is actually quite satisfying to drink out of, in a way that plastic or even paper straws are not. Not only so, but drinking with a non-plastic straw has made me feel like I have actually been doing something to help the planet and not just blow off climate concerns. It makes me want to implement more sustainable routines into my life, from reusable shopping bags to eating more cruelty-free food products. I know I need to get better when it comes to the role I play in the environment.
Related: Simple Ways to Stop Using Plastic
I recognize that my use of a metal straw will not eliminate the entirety of environmental issues that the Earth has–corporations have to significantly change their policies when it comes to carbon emissions (but who knows when people will be willing to invoke such regulations!)–but even reducing my use of straws has made some sort of impact. People need to start caring about climate change and adjust their lives accordingly, even if they feel like it really does not have an effect. It does. We can start the change.