https://www.nps.gov/articles/straw-free.htm500 million in America alone, per day
Polluting the ocean. Which we learn here, and our kids learn here, at the ocean.
https://www.strawlessocean.org/faq/https://earth911.com/home/food-beverage/recycling-mystery-plastic-straws/They pretty much aren't recyclable.
So, it's not just one straw.
Look, I know we are all Mustachian here, so we aren't likely the ones using 500 million straws per day. I mean, how often do you eat out, drink out, etc? BUT you add it all up, and it's significant.
I like to point out, and often, that I am capable of caring about MULTIPLE THINGS AT ONCE.
So, for some interesting discussion among our kind:
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/plastic-free-july/Last year, I read "Zero Waste Home" by Bea Johnson, and it really got me thinking. Hm... I loaned out that book, need to get it back.
Take the amount of plastic we use...and multiply it by millions. It's INSANE.
So we had the plastic bag ban. And now we're on the plastic straw ban. And I think if it gets people to THINK, then how can that be a bad thing? Over the last several years, I've seen the number of people who take their own bags to the grocery store skyrocket.
Other things that I've been testing out/ doing (don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good):
- bake my own bread, because I can recycle or compost the paper bags that flour come in
- buy nuts, seeds, beans, rice, chocolate in bulk bins in my own containers or just keep reusing the bags
- buy loose produce (I get a delivery box)
- use reusable bags for produce
- drink water mostly
- use bar soap, bar shampoo
Things that are on the list of things to figure out
- how to avoid plastic bags for meat and cheese
- how to avoid plastic bags for tortillas and vegetables (I mean, I really don't want to make my own tortillas!)
- buying milk in paper (which is more recyclable than plastic) or glass bottles (that you return)