Straws Suck!

STRAWS SUCK!

Straws...

Did you know that those innocent plastic straws exist for up to 200 years playing havoc with the environment? We only use straws for 15 minutes and discard them after that.  They get forgotten about and hang around in oceans destroying waterways and killing marine life where the get mistaken for being food due to their shape and their astonishingly bright colors, similar to those of their prey. 

Lately, I have been looking at the number of items that are not very important and create unnecessary wastage. These items are used by many people daily and are easy to live without. Did you know that on average 10,000,000 straws are used every day? Even that is a small number compared to 3.5 billion a year. This is unbelievable, considering that is just for Australia! I dread to think of the amount of plastic straws used worldwide each year! A whole lot. Seattle banned the straw in 2018 and the whole of England is on track to ban all plastic straws, drink stirrers and single use cutlery by April this year (2020). South Australia has drawn up legislation to have straws banned along with cutlery and stirrers. If we continue to use this much plastic by 2050 there will be more plastic than animals in the ocean. That is a very scary thought! 

The priority statement dated 2019 that was written by the West Australian Parliament states that it is desirable to have waste recycled and that 70% of waste generated in WA should be recycled or reused by 2030, so I think it would be wonderful if Parliament drafted legislation to ban the plastic straw as a step to reducing wastage. Using no straws will also save the government thousands of dollars in less landfill costs and thousands of dollars will also be saved in the regard of shops who would no longer need to purchase straws. After all, who drinks beverages at home with a straw? Not many people!

How YOU make a difference in 2 EASY steps...

Refuse the straw at Cafès and Restaurants.

Sometimes, things can't be recycled. That is when you decide that the best weapon is to refuse. I have done it before, and it is so empowering to know, however small, that you have made a difference. I also know what it is like to forget. But you can do this; other people have, and you can too! Do you forget to put your shirt on everyday? No, I don't think you do! That is because it is a habit: st in stone, and you can do this with refusing straws too. If it seems too hard, remember: every SMALL action can help us save the planet.(see what I did there...it's a small gesture but a BIG change!!!) It isn't just about preventing straws going in landfill.  The greenhouse gases used in the production of straws is giant, and is suffocating the earth. By refusing a straw, the shops will slowly see that they don't need to order more, because nobody is taking them. They won't need to be produced! Think about this: If everybody refused the straw and thought it was just them, but still continued, then it would really make a difference. Drink beverages without straws or bring your own to Cafès and Restaurants.  Remember: YOU can do YOUR part to save OUR planet. Little things help! You know the story of supply and demand...the law of economics...surely your Dad has taught you all about that. My Dad is always talking about it. Otherwise, you can drink beverages without a straw at all! I bet you don't get a straw in your water at home! But you do in a cafè! What is the difference? Nothing really, but if you really wanted a straw, you could bring your own! 

Use Reusable Straws.

Even after refusing the straw at shops that you go to, you can make a difference within your home and your family. One way that you can do this is to simply either ditch the straw totally and drink beverages directly from the cup (not too hard at all!), or purchase some reusable straws. I will do a blog post again soon and there will be some PARAPHERNALIA (I love that word, otherwise known as STUFF) about WHICH straws to choose: there are multiple options like glass, metal, silicone, bamboo, paper and hay straws. I like metal straws and these are the ones I use. If you want to invest in some straws that are metal (good for gifts!), "Buy Eco Wise" is great value, but do a search around the World Wide Web and see what tickles your esophagus before you buy though!!! Metal straws are virtually unbreakable, and are durable, easy to clean, BPA (you might like to know that BPA stands for Bisphenol A and it is an organic synthetic compound) free, safe for all ages, dishwasher safe and they can't be mistaken for food if they get into the ocean. Here is a great table: https://ecolunchboxes.com/blogs/news/straws-straws-but-which-one and it is down the bottom! A great way to decide which straws are best for you!

Also, I wanted to let you guys know that one of my friends has started a podcast on lots of great subjects, from Science to Global Warming to technology, and you can get it from wherever you get your podcasts from (App Store, Podcast App, Spotify, ect...) and I highly recommend it. The name of it is KidsQs... If you like it too, just hit the subscribe button to make sure you don't miss a thing!  https://mediaeducation.com.au/teacher-resources/kidsqs/

You might have noticed also that I mentioned in my introduction blog post that I would share something exciting with you...And I have finally finalized it! I am interviewing somebody extremely special for the environment in Western Australia...And I am pleased to let you know that this is the Honorable Stephen Dawson, the environmental minister for Western Australia. I am so excited! Keep an eye out for my next post, because I will tell you everything that I learnt from him! Looking forward to letting you know!

Just remember, you can save the world...By doing little things. Think of it like this: You can run the marathon, one step at a time!!!

See you soon!

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