COMMUNITY // EARTH DAY
Just Say No To Plastic Straws
Why #MarchAgainstStraws
by Madi Giordano
I
n the US alone, 500 million plastic
straws are used every day. That repre-
sents enough straws to wrap around
the Earth 2.5 times. These straws take more
than 200 years to decompose and are rarely
recyclable. They have become an epidemic
littering oceans, streets, forests, and other
natural lands. Our excessive use of straws
causes the death of over one million seabirds
and 100,000 marine animals annually. (This
research was compiled by the campaign #one-
lessstraw created by the nonprofit One More
Generation.)
Many communities and organizations have
begun initiatives to address this problem. This
includes coordinating beach cleanups. In addi-
tion, entire cities (including Malibu, San Luis
Obispo, David, Seattle, and Fort Myers) are
enacting laws against restaurants distributing
plastic straws unless requested. These initiatives
have a worldwide impact.
Through Green Foresters, I decided to
motivate people to join the movement with
#MarchAgainstStraws. This campaign chal-
lenged people to go without using a plastic
straw throughout the month of March. People
from all over the world participated. This push
helped people implement refusing straws into
their lifestyle. My hope is to encourage people
to make refusing plastic straws a habit for life.
I urge you to implement this practice too!
It is so simple. When going to a bar, restau-
rant, smoothie shop, or anywhere you would
be issued a straw, simply ask, “Can I have a
______ please, with no straw?” You will find
people are usually receptive and love to ask
about the movement. If you enjoy drinking
out of a straw, choose a reusable option and
carry it with you. Reusable straws made from
a variety of materials are available including
stainless steel, bamboo, glass, and silicone.
My personal favorite is stainless steel--it
makes everything a little more refreshing.
Refusing straws is a simple action with a
huge impact.Madi Giordano is the Founder of Green Foresters:
https://greenforesters.com
(Source of facts: https://get-green-now.com/environ-
mental-impact-plastic-straws/)Malibu Bans Plastic Straws
During the February 26 meeting, the Malibu
City Council voted to prohibit the sale, distri-
bution, and use of single-use plastic straws and
cutlery within the City of Malibu.
“Malibu is a leader in environmental
protections, and we’ve made great progress in
addressing plastic pollution, including bans on
plastic bags, plastic sandbags, and polystyrene
foam,” Mayor Rick Mullen said. “We are now
adding plastic straws, stirrers and cutlery to
the list of plastic pollution that we will stop
at the source so it doesn’t reach our beaches
and the open ocean. The ocean, beaches, and
natural surroundings are a central part of life
in Malibu, and we are absolutely committed to
keeping them clean for ourselves, our children,
and their children in the future.”
This legislation goes into effect on June 1,- Learn more at: malibucity.org
Sustainable Straw Giveaways
Stop by Malibu City Hall during office hours
to pick up #KeepitCleanMalibu branded reus-
able steel straws. Post on social media using
the hashtags #MalibuForAStrawlessOcean and
#KeepitCleanMalibu.
Malibu will also provide a box of envi-
ronmentally safe #KeepitCleanMalibu paper
straws to area restaurants.
Visit Pepperdine University’s Healthy Planet,
Healthy You Sustainability and Wellness Fair
on Tuesday, April 10 from 11am-2pm at the
campus Mullin Town Square. Celebrate an
early Earth Day and receive reusable steel
smoothie straws with brush cleaners from
Malibu’s Environmental Sustainability Team.
Learn more at: pepperdine.edu/Climate-CallingStraw Reduction Initiative Worldwide
A number of organizations, businesses, and
individuals are taking on the challenge to find
alternatives to single-use plastic straws. You
can take the #SurfriderPledge or commit to
using less plastic at: onelessstraw.org. Other
trending hashtags include #refusethestraw and
campaigns from the organization @5gyres
and the initiative from @oceanfriendlyres-
taurants are gaining traction. It’s even gone
mainstream. Bacardi, the world’s largest
spirit company, has implemented an in-house
program removing plastic straws and stirrers
at company events.