[Schaumburger]

On the plastic straw front, as of July 1, Seattle has banned the use of plastic straws. Starbucks is phasing out the use of plastic straws by 2020. Hyatt Hotels are phasing out plastic straws. McDonalds is investigating the phase out for US locations and is switching to paper straws in the UK and Ireland in September.

So progress is being made to end the use of plastic straws, but it will take time.

[graciegirl]

I think "they" are grasping at straws.

Us old-er people have been taught to repurpose, reuse and not waste. And to save our money, and try to prevent wasteful spending wherever we can. Turn off lights, eat our leftovers and take good care of our possessions.


There are all kinds of things we can do. But we cannot stop the other parts of the world from wasting and polluting. It is kind of like pithing into the wind.

[GoodLife]

Originally Posted by sunglow

My husband and I are now asking servers at restaurants to please hold back the straws. After reading the facts about how many straws we use in the U.S. each year - 500 million DAILY - enough to circle earth 2.5 times! And they for the most part can't be recycled and end up in our landfills and our oceans. The Great Pacific garbage patch is twice the size of France and contains nearly 80,000 tons of plastic. I hope people will read this and will also ask their servers to hold back the straws.

Up to 95 per cent of plastic polluting the world's oceans pours in from just ten rivers, according to new research.

The top 10 rivers - eight of which are in Asia - accounted for so much plastic because of the mismanagement of waste.



95% of plastic in oceans comes from just ten rivers | Daily Mail Online

[Topspinmo]

Let talk about the elephant in the room! The 6 and 8 pack soda plastic retainers that strangle and kill wildlife on land and the ocean. IMO no need for plastic carton while recycle cardboard boxes can be used like with aluminum cans packaged in quantities over 6. IMO that's bigger problem than straws. It's all about the dollar/CEOS can save on labor and materials for their bonus. It probably saved 2 cents to make in plastic over paper plus the factory and besides some would be against that cause of the use of wood pulp which is probably waste wood from lumber?

[Ooper]

But yet I don't see any body complaining about the 1000's and 1000's of huge plastic bags that we are required to put our garbage in each week. Compare that to a little plastic straw, really? I agree that any plastic discarded in any environment is not good. I have no problem with paper straws. But when you add up the plastic bags used by all the home owners here in The Villages twice a week, it kinda dwarfs the straw problem.

[Wiotte]

Originally Posted by ron32162

May be we have solved a big problem here in the villages as to why the ER is so full of people and 8 hour wait to see a doctor and no rooms in the hospital. People here just dont care about the sticky salt and pepper shakers at the table or putting their lips on a glass that you have no knowledge how clean it is. After sneezing at the table covering your mouth with a tissue then salt and peppering your food with shakers that havent been wiped down or having something like c-diff (alot of that here in TV) which can stay on hard surfaces for 3 months and very contagious. So to you people that think you cant catch something from a simple thing like going out to eat don't complain about your long wait at the ER or your local walk in clinic.

Egads man, what have you uncovered ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LuckySevens]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

I prefer to drink through a straw at public restaurants for sanitary reasons. Too many food preparers handle drinks by the rim of the glass.

ME TOO.....I ALWAYS WANT A FRESH STRAW and it is often inconvenient to take one with me.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by LuckySevens

ME TOO.....I ALWAYS WANT A FRESH STRAW and it is often inconvenient to take one with me.

A fresh straw! Paper straws are the answer. Paper is biodegradable and renewable.

[Schaumburger]

Originally Posted by CFrance

A fresh straw! Paper straws are the answer. Paper is biodegradable and renewable.

Agree 100%

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

I prefer to drink through a straw at public restaurants for sanitary reasons. Too many food preparers handle drinks by the rim of the glass.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by banjobob

The idea of straws helping end the pollution problem is noble but it seems bottled water bottles are a bigger pollutant

[rivaridger1]

One step at a time. Publix last week had paper straws hanging in the middle of several aisles. We bought four packages and will continue to do as long as they are kept in stock.

[MrsPhil]

I have plenty of reusable bags but since I also find many uses for plastic (and paper) grocery bags, I don't use my reusables without incentive. Where I came from, several of the stores paid me a nickel for each bag I used, which quickly paid me back for the cost of the bag. I know of only 2 stores in the area which provide incentives (Aldi and Sav-A-Lot): they charge for each of their bags you use, which works out the same, and I'm fine with that.

[MrsPhil]

As for straws, both sides (for and against use) make sense. Paper straws seem a good option. For an entire city (Seattle) to ban straws in general without first coming up with an alternative is short-sighted. Many drinks are fine without a straw but just try it with a milkshake or frappucino! What they save in straws will be made up for in napkins post haste!

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by MrsPhil

As for straws, both sides (for and against use) make sense. Paper straws seem a good option. For an entire city (Seattle) to ban straws in general without first coming up with an alternative is short-sighted. Many drinks are fine without a straw but just try it with a milkshake or frappucino! What they save in straws will be made up for in napkins post haste!

They do have an alternative. It's been well thought-out. Seattle becomes first major US city to ban plastic straws and utensils | The Independent