Australians use about 10 million straws every day, or 3.5 billion a year.
Most are used just once - for around 15-30 minutes, after which they are thrown away!
Plastic Straws are the 12th most common item reported by Clean Up volunteers.
They represent 7.5% of all reported plastics - with 7,304 reported from rubbish recorded last Clean Up Day. That figure has doubled over the last two years.
And they are everywhere - in our parks, picnic grounds, along streets, in and on our beaches.
CHANGE STARTS WITH YOU
Here are 5 things you can do starting today:
You can choose NOT to take a straw
Some people genuinely want or need a single use straw. If that's you, you can choose to replace plastic with paper
If you are a regular straw user because you need a straw then look for a reusable option that works for you
If you do take a straw please bin it
And if you are a retailer, cafe owner, club or bar replace plastic with paper and try putting the straws behind the counter, encouraging people to ask you for a straw - you will be amazed by how few do so
GREAT INITIATIVES
Through the efforts of groups like Operation Straw, retailers across cities and town are choosing to take straws off their counters and/ or replace plastic straws.
McDonald's has announced they will replace single use plastic straws by 2020.
And Coca Cola is ceasing their distribution of plastic straws and stirrers from mid 2019.
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