It is predicted that by 2050, there will be more plastics in the sea than ocean animals including the straws you are using every day.
1️. It is very hard to recycle plastic straws:
Admit it, rarely do you put them in the recycling bin, right? Even when doing so, plastic straws are still easily ignored by the recycling machines due to its lightweight. As a result, they will stay in the garbage dumps forever.
2️. The time it takes for plastic to decompose is about ... 200 years:
Plastics are not substances that can degrade quickly.. It can only be "broken down" to a microscopic size, but never completely disintegrate. The burning of plastic wastes produce dioxin, which is harmful to the environment and our health.
3. Large amounts of plastic straws land into the sea and cause serious pollution:
Why? Due to straws, plastic cups were indiscriminately dumped beside the coast because waste is swept away from the mainland, especially in storms. It is estimated that by 2050, the total weight of plastic will be heavier than the total weight of fish in the ocean (according to the World Economic Forum).
4️. Marine animals may mistake straws for food and then pay for it with their life:
Remember the clip of a sea turtle's surgery from 2015? When the 12cm long straw was pulled out from his nostril, the turtle bled and was in serious pain. According to the "One Less Straw" organization, 100,000 marine animals and one million seabirds die each year from absorbing plastic.
5️. Plastic straws hospitalize thousands of people each year:
The average number recorded in the US shows that there are 1,400 hospitalizations per year because of plastic straws, mainly in children under 12 years old.
This seemingly harmless item can cause injury to the mouth, eyes and digestive system ... Children are often unaware and cannot anticipate the possible dangers when playing with or using plastic straws.
In addition, we cannot be sure whether the plastic used to make the straw is “clean”. Because there are toxic substances that are not well documented or tested within the plastic straw.
6️. Yet in "60 years of life", each person consumes more than 38,000 plastic straws:
On average in the USA, one uses 1.7 plastic straws a day. It seems insignificant, but if we multiply it with 365 days and multiply it again for 60 years, the result is scary: 38,000 plastic straws are discarded in life! It's only one person.
7️. If you must use a straw, choose another material:
You can enjoy almost any drink without a straw. If you have to use one, there are many types of straws that can be reused many times for you to choose from. For example, bamboo straws, can be used many times and are safe to the environment.