The Last Plastic Straw is a project of Plastic Pollution Coalition. They are building momentum around a worldwide movement, so plastic straws become a relic of the past.

For decades, plastic straws are indispensable for many people that encountered in any snack bar even the most luxurious restaurants. But 2019 is the year the world will say goodbye not just to plastic straws but all single-use plastic.

Today, those little brightly colored plastic straws are a symbol not of carefree holidays but of the catastrophic damage our throw-away culture is doing to the planet. Worldwide, plastic straws are the sixth most common type of litter, according to Litterati, an app that identifies and maps trash, and among the top 10 marine debris items according to environmental advocacy group Ocean Conservancy. Made from polypropylene, a byproduct of petroleum, they are almost never recycled because they’re too small, flimsy, and could be made from several different types of plastic. They simply contribute to the massive problem of plastic pollution. Photographs of straws littering the seabed and beaches are on every news site and eco-conscious social media account – along with a litany of grim statistics and stark warnings: one trillion single-use plastic bags used every year; more than half a million plastic straws used every day around the world. If we continue to generate plastic waste at the current rate approximately 12 billion tonnes will be in landfills or the natural environment by 2050.

Mass plastic use is a huge problem that contributes massive amounts to landfill and has a negative impact on ocean ecosystems. A plastic straw in my drink might seem innocent enough, but multiply that by the billions of people using across the world every single day, and you start to get an idea of the scale of the problem we’re looking at. Single-use plastics, especially straws, are having an adverse effect on our world, and it’s time to do something about it.

We are changing the culture around unnecessary plastic straw use. A shift of consumer focus to organics, local sourcing, ability to compostable, and increased sustainability means that we are becoming more conscious of where we put our money. We want to know that our habit is not having a negative impact on the world.

This is not just a trend but a permanent and intentional move to shift our lifestyle to match our beliefs. It makes no sense to continue to use plastic straws at the volume we do, and that big change can be made through small everyday actions driven by you.

 

 What can you do?

1. Say “no” to plastic straws

Whenever ordering a drink, simply request ‘no straw’ and share your commitment with your friends and family, too!

2. Use biodegradable drinking straws

There are many other viable alternatives to plastic straws that are less harmful to the environment, wildlife and humans and can be used many times such as glass straws, stainless steel straws, paper straws, bamboo straws … However, the great contribution to the “no plastic straws” trend among young people is rice straws. This type of straw is made from a combination of rice and wheat, which is fully biodegradable within 90 days. Specially, these straws can be eaten. In cold drinks, rice straws can be used for 4-10 hours, and for hot drinks, they can last 2-3 hours.

Vinastraws is proud to be the leading rice straws supplier and manufacturer in Vietnam with an experienced production team and advanced production equipment to ensure food hygiene and safety requirements.

3. DO LESS: less consumption, less straws, less waste

Servers and restaurant owners should make a “straws on request” policy to make plastic straws optional, rather than dropping off straws when they’re not asked for.

4. Starting a campaign in your community to start a wave of change.

 

Using hashtags #NoPlasticStraws and #PlasticPollutes to put more awareness of using plastic and try care more about the environment.

 

Sources:

Earthday

The Last Plastic Straw

Plastic Pollution Coalition