The number one google link about plastic straws in oceans says we use over 500 million straws a day and most of these end up in our oceans. Another site says, ‘nearly every plastic straw winds up in the ocean’. I’ve seen alcohol industry groups such as USBG chapters and Tales of the Cocktail as well as some cities take this information and propose bans on plastic straws. As Penn and Teller would say, bullshit.
By using some basic common sense, one would realize most straws wind up in garbage landfills and not the ocean. Do folks think waste management companies specifically sort out plastic straws, load them on a boat and then dump them in the ocean? It’s complete and utter nonsense.
Where did this oft cited 500 million straws a day number originate from? From a 9-year-old boy who did a phone survey of straw manufacturers in 2011. I swear I’m not making this up. https://reason.com/blog/2018/01/25/california-bill-would-criminalize-restau
The more realistic number from market analysts puts the actual number at 1/3 of this kid’s “study”. That’s still a lot of plastic straws, but that’s nowhere near as impressive as 500 million. How do plastic straws end up in the ocean? Generally, they are blown there. So, it makes sense to look at eliminating plastic straws from places right next to waterways – ferries, boats, beach bars, etc. If you live in a typical USA city, your waste straw is going into a landfill and not the ocean.
Plastic straws make up a very tiny percentage of the total plastic in a landfill. Plastic straws are generally made from polypropylene, which is a highly recyclable plastic resin. If one wants to reduce plastic going into landfills, it’s easy enough to ask for no straw or to carry one’s own reusable straw. If you are a restaurant or bar owner and are considering going ‘strawless’ to save the ocean, your heart might be in the right place but the logic is flawed.