The Straw That Broke the Ocean’s Back
Okay, you’re scrolling through Facebook when you should be working on that paper that is due in mere hours when you see a video of a sea turtle having a straw pulled out of its nose with pliers-maybe you have actually seen this video; I have- and you start thinking Whose straw is that, who just throws their trash into the ocean? What if I told you that there is a very real possibility that that is your straw? I am not accusing you of tossing your trash into the ocean because that’s not necessary for it to end up there… so how did it get there?
How does all of that trash, your trash, get into the oceans? While litter from coastal communities is a major source itis not the only source. Contrary to what might seem logical, litter from mainland communities can also make its way to the ocean, either by getting into rivers and lakes and being taken to the ocean downstream, or through gutters. Even if your trash does make it safely to waste management, it may be blown out of open containers or off of transport boats and vehicles. https://www.strawlessocean.org/faq
It seems almost inevitable then that a portion of all of the plastic you dispose of will eventually make its way into the ocean. The probability of this fact is only increased by the outrageously long life-span of plastics, which take hundreds of years to degrade, some plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, never degrade.
So once the plastic is in the ocean how bad can it be? Well, pretty bad for that turtle you just saw, which is only one of hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, among whales and other marine mammals that die each year from ingestions of or entanglement in ocean pollution.
http://www.seeturtles.org/ocean-plastic
While entanglement is an obvious risk, as there is a clearly visible injury that many photographers indicate, re-watch that video with the straw in the turtle’s nostril. But what about ingestion? We’ve all eaten things we shouldn’t eat. Unfortunately, a lot of plastic items can look like food, such as plastic shopping bags drifting like jellyfish in the abyss. These large plastics which cannot be digested can cause blocks in their digestive tracts which can result in starvation. Plastics can also release chemicals, either those already present in the plastics or other toxins that the plastics have absorbed. https://www.globalanimal.org/2013/09/26/sea-turtle-populations-plummet-due-to-plastic-pollution/
So, what do we do about this problem? While the obvious solution might appear to be recycling, given how much stock was put into the whole concept during your grade school days, plastic straws are too lightweight for the sorting machines, which means they either contaminate other recycled plastics, or are brought to the dump.
https://www.strawlessocean.org/faq
The best way to combat this problem is to stop using plastic. Although going completely plastic free is a large endeavour to take on refusing big time players such as plastic bags, soda can rings, and straws… Plastic straws, although a popular subject amongst environmentalists now, have largely been ignored in discussing plastic pollution, despite being one of the top 10 items found during beach cleanups and one of the most dangerous to marine life.
Doing away with straws completely may not be possible, as there are cases where people really do need a straw, however there are some alternatives to plastic. A reusable metal straw is a great accessory for avid straw users that is dishwasher safe, easy to clean, and easy to use. For businesses that still want to offer straws guilt-free, compostable and paper straw alternatives are available. However, it should be noted that paper is advertised as the better choice as compostable straws are designed to decompose in a landfill environment and end up being just as harmful in marine environments as plastic.
So what can you do? Next time you order that iced coffee, or ask your server for just a water, remember to tell them to hold the straw.