It’s almost impossible to not know the huge debate over single-use plastic straws ever since the video of the turtle dying because of one surfaced. I know what you’re thinking: this is going to be another one of those annoying articles. I’ve seen hundreds of articles all regurgitating the same facts about this issue, and I’ll admit it does aggravate me a little bit. However, the reason why there are a ton of articles on this topic is because it is so important. Here are some more rare facts about this issue:
1. On average, Americans use 500 million plastics straws daily. With this statistic only including the United States, it’s crazy to even imagine how many straws are used by the whole world.
2. Every year, 1,000,000 birds and 100,000 marine animals die from ingesting plastic that is disposed of properly.
3. If this issue doesn’t get better soon, within the next 25 years, people will have to wear hazmat suits in order to safely swim in lakes and oceans. Not only will this be unfortunate for our generation, but it will also mean that future generations will not get the chance to experience the same things that we had the chance to.
Here’s the good news: The solution is actually quite simple. In order to fix this issue, we just have to simply cut down on our usage of plastic. I began to say “no” to the plastic straw back in June and have hardly used them since. It’s been so easy, that it’s gotten to the point where I don’t even have to remind myself to not take one. This simple reduction from our daily lives can impact the world in a huge way.