If there is one video you need to watch that will make stop using plastic straws indefinitely, it has got to be this one.
It’s a disturbing footage of a sea turtle, with a stream of blood running down his face and straw lodged in his nose, while two researchers work to extract it. It is one of the saddest things you will watch on the internet and it makes me kind of hate to think I ever sipped a drink with a straw.
Why do you need to say goodbye to plastic straws?
Traditional plastic straws are one-time-use item and cannot be recycled, so they wind up in our landfills and our oceans and statistics show that in America alone, 500 million straws are used PER DAY!
The video really haunted me and it was there and then that I decided I didn’t want to use straws.
Plastic straws aren’t the only problem though – plastic bags are also a big culprit. This one’s a lot easier to manage though – as you just have to keep reusable bags in your car when you go shopping instead of getting the plastic ones at the till.
However, then there is all the packaging we all bring home when we shop. Salad and sandwich containers, soup packets and fruit juice containers.
Here are some of the easier ways you can also reduce the use of plastic:
- Buy things in glass container options, such as honey, peanut butter, sauces etc and then reuse the glass to store other things
- Reuse plastic containers – Yogurt containers can be used to plan mini herb gardens, ice cream containers can be used to keep makeup or medicine in one place (honestly there are thousands of uses – you just need to google what you could do with a plastic item, before you toss it in the bin.
- Rather buy fresh bread that comes in those paper bags, instead of the plastic bag varieties
- Stop buying bottled water – Just fill up a glass bottle instead
- You could also make your own snacks. I know the ones at Woolies ones are easier. But the ones you make at home can be stored in reusable containers. I am going to look at a series of snack ideas on the blog soon too!
Finally – Say NO to Plastic straws and use alternatives instead.
I know not all alternatives are always affordable, which is why I decided there was a chance to start a small business to offer a solution. You can buy my copper straws here.
Remember we can all make a difference, we just need to try and become mindful of how much plastic we are actually purchasing and using in our day to day lives. Small changes can make a difference and save our oceans.
Take Care,
Cat
