If you have any access to news nowadays, you’ll see countless articles on a hot topic: straws. What seems to be a simple item has caused controversy across the country that has reached our campus. Why? A few years ago, a video went viral showing biologists removing a straw from a sea turtle’s nose, which then sparked the following discussion about straw pollution in our oceans and its effect on the wildlife.
In July 2018, Starbucks announced that “plastic straws to be replaced with new recyclable strawless lid and alternative-material straw options” which brought the discussion of straw use back into the public’s view. Many people have started to buy reusable metal straws or stop using straws at all. Here at Lafayette, Lower has stopped using both straws and lids on their cups, and Gilbert’s Cafe no longer provides straws.
But pushback has occurred from the disability community who view straws as a necessity rather than a waste. Alice Wong, a writer with a neuromuscular disability calls straws “necessary because I do not have the hand and arm strength to lift a drink and tip it into my mouth.” Obviously, straws give independence and security that would not be possible if straws were banned everywhere.
Overall, there are eight million (8,000,000!!) metric tons of plastic floating in the oceans, disrupting ecosystems and destroying wildlife. Yes. Eight million metric tons. But how much of that is actually caused by straws? Australian scientists Denise Hardesty and Chris Wilcox estimate that approximately “437 million to 8.3 billion plastic straws are on the entire world’s coastlines.” Obviously, straws are a major problem, but they aren’t the source of most plastic pollution. Single-use plastic packaging on almost every product we buy, plastic bags, and microfibers that come off of our clothes in the wash all contribute to the problem as well.
But fear not! Not all hope is lost as there are tons of great ways to be more eco-friendly in college and at home. By reducing the amount of plastic waste you produce, you can be a part of the solution to the problem. Try carrying around a personal water bottle, like a Hydroflask or a Nalgene! And make use of the various recycling bins around campus.
While banning straws entirely has both pros and cons, it is only the first step of many to start to solve the problem of plastic pollution. Together we can save the world by being more mindful of our own personal waste.