Picture the scene, you’re sat on the beach with an ice cold cocktail dressed with an umbrella and a straw in hand. Paradise right? Well not quite. Dozens upon dozens of plastic straws are left behind on the beach every day. These little tubes of plastic aren’t biodegradable, and are usually too small to be raked up in a beach clean. But most importantly they present a threat to our amazing marine life as they find their way into the sea. And sea turtles are often the hardest hit.
Did you know that in just the US only they consume enough straws to wrap around the Earth’s circumference 2.5 times in a day!
It comes as no surprise that we were so delighted to hear that business in Antigua are backing a straws on request campaign to help cut down on this waste and to help protect our ecological systems. In fact many restaurants and hotels are now using paper straws only. Look out for the Straws on Request signs around the island. It’s a small step but let’s hope it kick starts a big change.
Who knows maybe in a few years time we could follow the lead of Miami Beach. They’ve just banned plastic straws from their beaches.
Want to know about the impact of plastic straws - head over to www.thelastplasticstraw.org