We’ve become immune to those little plastic tubes that seem to come with virtually every single cold drink you order. Yet one group is leading the pack in trying to clean up our act, for the good of our oceans and the creatures that inhabit them.
The Surfrider Foundation, which has been around since 1984, is a grassroots nonprofit organization which “has built a network of coastal defenders who transform their passion for our coasts into lasting protection. Bridging local knowledge with national experts in law, policy, and science, our formula for success … produces victories for our beaches year after year.”
The Ocean City Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation was established in 1999 and now joins a total of 162 chapters and clubs taking action all across the United States. The latest initiative is the “Strawless Summer Pledge” which engages individuals and businesses to stop using disposable straws. Why? Well, the answer may be obvious, but the actual impact may be grossly underestimated in the minds of the public.
Consider this statistic: “We use 500 million plastic straws every day in the US -- enough to wrap around the earth 2.5 times. If we don’t solve our plastic pollution, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans.”
So in order to draw attention to the problem and urge people to change their behavior, the Ocean City Chapter of the Foundation has proposed a pledge available for signing here. Here is the pledge itself:
By signing the Strawless Summer Pledge, I promise that:
Individuals:
I won’t use plastic straws during the summer of 2018.
I’ll let restaurant waitstaff know ahead of time that I don’t want a straw.
If needed, I’ll obtain an environmentally-friendly straw and bring it with me.
Restaurants:
I’ll only serve straws “upon request.”
And the pledge is catching on across a number of Ocean City restaurants. You can see the full list of the participating establishments here, which is close to 40 at this point! Is your favorite one on the list?
The movement to end the use of straws and plastics, in general, is spreading to other cities. Plastic straws are now banned from Miami Beach. On June 1, Malibu started enforcing the ban on the use, distribution, and sale of single-use plastic straws, stirrers, and cutlery. Instead, the city is working to adopt alternatives to plastic such as bamboo, paper, and sugar cane. Starting July 1, Seattle is also banning all use of plastic straws and cutlery.
If you just cannot imagine life without a straw, do not sulk. FinalStraw to the rescue! It is the “world’s first reusable, collapsible, easy-to-clean, convenient, and totally badass” replacement to the old school plastic straw. It comes in your choice of four colors, so you won’t even miss the neon bendy straws of yesterday.
So are you up for it? Will you sign the pledge and do your part to stop one more straw from getting into our waters? What do you think about this initiative? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!