How many people today grab a takeaway coffee cup from the local cafe to drink on the go? We don’t know, but the number must be enormous.. Most every one of the above have a plastic top that will last 100s of years. Some cafes still use plastic cups that last a similar time. Is 10 minutes of coffee worth 100s of years of trash?
These items can be seen littering our gutters and on our streets all over the place. If they were all cardboard, they would still be littered, but they would, at least, be gone in a short time.
They do not need to be made of plastic.
On the way home from the gym last week, a distance of about 1 km (1/2 mile), I counted the items of plastic litter on the curb as I walked. In that short distance I counted 63 pieces of plastic litter. Plastic drink bottles, bottle tops, candy wrappers, plastic film, polystyrene fragments etc. That seemed to be a lot to me. I guess it is a generational thing. Our parents would have been horrified to see that amount, whereas it seems to go unnoticed by our youth of today. In another 20 years how many pieces will there be on this stretch, -- 200? What will today’s youth think of that new amount then when they are older? Will their children be so readily accepting of a higher amount of litter? 
The last straw? Seattle will say goodbye to plastic straws, utensils with upcoming ban – USA
Posted on September 18, 2017 by DrRossH in Plastic Straws
“Strawless in Seattle”: The city will enact the ban next year for all businesses that sell food or drinks. Meanwhile, restaurants and venues have already begun making the switch as part of an effort to curb plastic waste.
Source: The last straw? Seattle will say goodbye to plastic straws, utensils with upcoming ban
All businesses that sell food or drinks must offer compostable or recyclable options — or ask patrons to forgo the tools altogether — come next July as part of a citywide ordinance to curb plastic waste across the city.
The ban aside, about 200 retailers have agreed to make the switch this month as part of an industry-led campaign, dubbed “Strawless in Seattle,” to prevent the plastic from polluting ocean waters and threatening marine life. It is among similar efforts by advocacy groups in cities spanning the country, from San Diego to Miami.
“When you get your iced latte, you’re going to get a straw. When you go get your mojito, you’re probably going to get a straw,” said campaign leader Dune Ives, executive director of The Lonely Whale Foundation. “Once we start observing our daily life, it’s really easy to see how quick” the plastic adds up.
Supporters of the push say the change will save 1 million plastic straws from circulating in Seattle this month alone.
Seattle is far in front leading this. What a great move by the city. They are to be applauded. The #lastplasticstraw trial being carried out in Port Melbourne by BeachPatrol Australia is finding that patrons of cafes involved love to see their favourite cafes go to paper straws.
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