Yes, it’s true. It’s also something that the late Fay Khoo had been meticulously talking about (also, say no to staples) and an issue that hasn’t been advocated enough. Single-use plastic straws do more harm than convenience. We say convenience because look at how easily accessible they are at most eateries. You go to a mamak and it comes with your teh ais limau. You go to a fast food chain and there’s a box at the counter ready to dish out however many you need (or don’t need). You go to a party or an event and it’s the easiest way to add some colour to the table spread.
For Yuna, it’s the same. “My fave thing in the world is an iced latte and I used to suck straws to drink it…I’m sorrrryyy,” she wrote in her recent Facebook post. What’s the harm in one measly straw? As the Malaysian singer-songwriter explained, an estimate of 500 million single-use straws is being used every day in the US alone. The right question to ponder upon is: What happens to them after? They end up in our oceans. Polluting the water and harming the marine ecosystem. They end up in “the landfill and left to hang around for the next thousand years”, as Fay had put it.
In Malaysia, approximately 31 million plastic straws are used on a daily basis, according to The Star. So really, it’s a global environmental issue. Seemingly harmless on the surface but its consequences will be disastrous. Everything is a cycle and has a chain effect (just like consuming shark fins). As Yuna said, “Together let’s save the ocean and guys… #stopsucking!”
You can check out the anti-straw video by Strawless Ocean initiative starring Yuna and other celebrities below. Or head over to this website to support Yuna’s #StopSucking challenge.
Related stories:
#GoGreen: 10 Beautiful reusable items to have
| SHARE THE STORY | |
| Explore More |
