No matter how hard we try to adopt these “eco-products” into our lives in an effort to save the Earth, the production of things like metal straws and reusable bags still take place in a factory that emits greenhouse gases. These metal straws are still wrapped in packaging that will be thrown out; and the trip from the factory to the distributor will still consume gas that will contribute to air pollution.
But don’t throw away your metal straws just yet (because that will end up either in a mountain of garbage in Tondo or in a body of water that will be cleaned before the next election season). Instead, I invite you to hold it in your hand and ask yourself why there is a need for straws in the first place.
If we really wanted to help the environment and reduce the use of plastic straws, why don’t we just ditch straws altogether and chug our drinks?
There’s an anonymous quote circulating online that reads “It’s pretty amazing that our society has reached a point where the effort necessary to extract oil from the ground, ship to a refinery, turn it into plastic, shape it appropriately, truck it to a store, buy it & bring it home, is considered to be less effort than washing a spoon!”*
Straws as aid in life
“Straws in general are a reflection of both human ingenuity and irrationality.” Can’t reach the bottom of your beer jar? Why don’t you use this metal tube to drink it. Or how about a plant-based (read: bamboo) straw? Straw breaks before you finish your drink? Try making a paper straw. Paper straws break too? Make it plastic. Plastic is bad for the environment? Why don’t you use this metal tube.
However harmful they are to the planet, straws have been a great aid to disabled people. Most of us just prefer to use straws or have simply gotten used to them but there are people among us that need straws to perform feed themselves. Moreover, these people may not have the resources or capabilities needed to maintain a reusable straw.
So, what now?
Story by Andrea Ong
Sources:
Gibbens, S. (2018). A Brief History of how Plastic Straws Took Over the World.
Retrieved from www.nationalgeographic.com.au
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