We all have heard horror stories about the seas of discarded plastic floating in the ocean.
And recently, a whale died after ingesting 80 plastic bags. But it’s not just large pieces of plastic thrown into the water. It’s also smaller pieces like your cigarette lighters and plastic straws. We are talking about millions of straws that end up in the water waves.
In fact, the Ocean Conservancy estimates that there are 8 million metric tons of plastics entering the ocean each year. Now, the travel industry is starting to wake up.
Many hotels stopped serving straws when guests order drinks. Cruise lines are stepping up as well. Royal Caribbean has announced that its 50 ships will be free from straws by next year followed by no more plastic coffee stirrers.
It’s also the last straw for the folks at SeaWorld. The animal theme parks have now removed all single-use plastic drinking straws and shopping bags.
So the next time you order a drink, try to remember the reasons why you don’t need a straw.
Image Credit: Horia Varlan
For more tips on how to help save the ocean, check out:
How to Help Save the Coral Reefs
