Week 1: First Week Reflection
For the first week of this project, I focused on finding the reusable straw that would meet my criteria. I knew that I wanted the straw to be portable, but I also knew that I wanted it to be sanitary. I wasn't willing to spend very much money, so I set myself a budget of $15. After much vigorous research (reading Amazon customer reviews), I settled on a straw from the brand "Seascape" (Figure 1).
Costing me around $13, the straw was under my budget and the majority of customer reviews were 5-star. The straw is collapsible, which makes it easily portable, and the case it comes in means that it will stay clean.
On average, Americans use 1.6 straws per person per day, which adds up to be about 500 million plastic straws per day (1). Acknowledging that Americans already only recycle around 34% of all waste they create (2), plastic straws themselves are not actually recyclable (1). Straws are made of polypropylene, a kind of plastic that many recycling centers refuse to accept. On top of this, straws are so light that many of them end up floating in the ocean and ingested by marine life. In fact, estimates say that there are 7.5 million plastic straws polluting America’s coastlines (3). While the impact may seem small, everything adds up very quickly and plastic straws end up being part of a large problem. I’ve recently started to notice a change in attitude surrounding plastic straws. At the McDonald’s near my house, for example, you now have to ask at the counter for a straw, in an attempt to limit the number of unused straws being thrown away. The straws at MOD Pizza and Paggliacci’s are compostable, and their dishes are all reusable. In July, Seattle became the first major US city to ban single-use plastics in businesses like bars and restaurants (4). Starbucks has made a commitment to get rid of their straws altogether by 2020 and recently rolled out their “nitro lids”, a strawless alternative for customers. While these actions are steps in the right direction, they don’t come without limitations. In all cases, there is still waste being produced; compostable straws still end up in the garbage after one use, and the Starbucks nitro lids are made of thick plastic. My goal with this project is to try and find a sustainable solution that produces zero waste, as well as change my own habits for the future.
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| Figure 1 the blessed |
Costing me around $13, the straw was under my budget and the majority of customer reviews were 5-star. The straw is collapsible, which makes it easily portable, and the case it comes in means that it will stay clean.
On average, Americans use 1.6 straws per person per day, which adds up to be about 500 million plastic straws per day (1). Acknowledging that Americans already only recycle around 34% of all waste they create (2), plastic straws themselves are not actually recyclable (1). Straws are made of polypropylene, a kind of plastic that many recycling centers refuse to accept. On top of this, straws are so light that many of them end up floating in the ocean and ingested by marine life. In fact, estimates say that there are 7.5 million plastic straws polluting America’s coastlines (3). While the impact may seem small, everything adds up very quickly and plastic straws end up being part of a large problem. I’ve recently started to notice a change in attitude surrounding plastic straws. At the McDonald’s near my house, for example, you now have to ask at the counter for a straw, in an attempt to limit the number of unused straws being thrown away. The straws at MOD Pizza and Paggliacci’s are compostable, and their dishes are all reusable. In July, Seattle became the first major US city to ban single-use plastics in businesses like bars and restaurants (4). Starbucks has made a commitment to get rid of their straws altogether by 2020 and recently rolled out their “nitro lids”, a strawless alternative for customers. While these actions are steps in the right direction, they don’t come without limitations. In all cases, there is still waste being produced; compostable straws still end up in the garbage after one use, and the Starbucks nitro lids are made of thick plastic. My goal with this project is to try and find a sustainable solution that produces zero waste, as well as change my own habits for the future.
I think that what's prevented me from changing my behavior was simply a lack of knowledge. I'd definitely been going to Starbucks and just completely ignoring the strawless option because I wanted to be able to stir my drink easily. Looking more into this topic, however, I'm shocked at how damaging something as small as a plastic straw can be. Plus, the fact that I have to do this now for a grade is pretty motivating. The only thing that really needs to change is my awareness of the issue. Already, I'm making sure that whenever I go out I have my straw with me. This is definitely a doable change for myself.
- “Recycling Mystery: Plastic Straws.” Earth911.Com, 15 Sept. 2018, earth911.com/home/food-beverage/recycling-mystery-plastic-straws/.
- “Blog.” Lessening the Harmful Environmental Effects of the Clothing Industry - Planet Aid, Inc., 2 Sept. 2015, www.planetaid.org/blog/recycling-rates-around-the-world.
- Borenstein, Seth. “Science Says: Amount of Straws, Plastic Pollution Is Huge.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 20 Apr. 2018, www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2018-04-20/science-says-amount-of-straws-plastic-pollution-is-huge.
- Jr., Cleve R. Wootson. “Seattle Becomes First Major U.S. City to Ban Straws.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 1 July 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/07/01/seattle-becomes-first-major-u-s-city-to-ban-straws/?utm_term=.37d09876700b.
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