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? Plastic Straws Archives - Plastic Waste Solutions
Articles that mentioned progress being made on the elimination of plastic straws.
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The return of the plastic straw?- USA
Posted on February 28, 2025 by DrRossH in Plastic StrawsIn an executive order signed 10 Feb. 2025, President Donald Trump ended the procurement and ‘forced use’ of paper straws, reversing the federal purchasing policies put in place by his predecessor that encourage paper straws and restrict plastic ones. Source:
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Presence of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Paper Straws Highlights the Inanity of Plastic Straw Bans
Posted on August 30, 2023 by DrRossH in Plastic StrawsA new study from Belgian researchers found that paper straws had higher concentrations of long-lasting, water resistant "forever chemicals" than plastic or steel straws. Source: Presence of 'Forever Chemicals' in Paper Straws Highlights the Inanity of Plastic Straw Bans
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Trump Seizes On Soggy Paper Straws As Campaign Issue: ‘Make Straws Great Again’ USA
Posted on July 21, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic StrawsSource: Trump Seizes On Soggy Paper Straws As Campaign Issue: 'Make Straws Great Again' His reelection campaign is selling reusable and recycled straws in its 2020 online store, and Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale blasted the slurping nonsoggy alternative in...
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I’ve seen our strawless future. And it’s just fine
Posted on June 24, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic StrawsSource: I’ve seen our strawless future. And it’s just fine A conversation the day before about single use plastics with Andy Lu, a smart machinery marketing expert from the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, had sent me on this chase. “McDonald’s...
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California’s straw law draws attention -USA
Posted on May 6, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic StrawsWhen former Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law curbing the distribution of plastic straws in sit-down restaurants, it received wide – and largely favorable -- attention. But to some, there was a surprise: The new law continues to allow fast-food...
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Mexican Company Finds A Genius Way To Use Avocado Seeds To Create Biodegradable Single-Use Cutlery
Posted on February 9, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic Straws, Plastic Waste NewsOriginal article It seems that people are slowly but surely beginning to understand the terrible impact our actions can have on earth. And one of the biggest and most environmentally harmful human marks we have made is with plastic. From plastic...
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EU backs ban on plastic straws, balloon sticks
Posted on November 5, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic StrawsBRUSSELS: EU countries on Wednesday backed the outlawing of certain single-use plastics, bringing the bloc a step closer to an outright ban on the products which account for huge quantities of waste in the world's oceans. Source: EU backs ban...
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California Bans Plastic Straws in Restaurants, But Exempts Fast Food – USA
Posted on September 24, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic StrawsCalifornia bans restaurants from routinely handing out plastic straws, but exempts fast-food outlets. Source: California Bans Plastic Straws in Restaurants, But Exempts Fast Food In a signing message, Brown cited the general impact of...
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The Summer of Plastic-Straw Bans: How We Got There – USA
Posted on August 9, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic StrawsThe story of how plastic straws went from ubiquitous to utensil non grata is one of psychology, a well-timed turtle and the power of social media. There has also been minimal industry pushback. Source: The Summer of Plastic-Straw Bans:...
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Chicago-based straw maker turns to biodegradable, compostable solutions – USA
Posted on August 3, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic StrawsPlastics News Article // // // <img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=111824592743119&ev=PageView&noscript=1" /> // // // =e/100?0:100),a=++,this.set(f,a.join(":")),!c}return!0}; this.go=function(){if(this.check()){var a=document.createElement("script");a.type="text/javascript";a.src=g+ "&t=" + (new Date()).getTime();document.body&&document.body.appendChild(a)}}; this.start=function(){var a=this;window.addEventListener?window.addEventListener("load",function(){a.go()},!1):window.attachEvent&&window.attachEvent("onload",function(){a.go()})}}; try{(new g(100,"r","QSI_S_ZN_8odAnAtNHrUW4Bf","https://zn8odanatnhruw4bf-crain.siteintercept.qualtrics.com/WRSiteInterceptEngine/?Q_ZID=ZN_8odAnAtNHrUW4Bf&Q_LOC="+encodeURIComponent(window.location.href))).start()}catch(i){}})(); // ]]> Smart Plastic Technologies LLC (SPT) says...
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