The Final Straw.
Category: National Issues
Voting closed
We have removed plastic straws from the Students' Union buildings and the university is currently taking part in a campaign to remove single use plastics in their premises. Straws are still available on request for students with aditional needs.
As a university we are very good at doing good. We volunteer, we raise awareness, we recycle.
Why then, are we still using plastic straws? Lets fight against pollution and ban all single-use plastic straws in favour of reusable metal straws, or even more favourable and environmentally friendly biodegradable paper straws. (Even our favourite pub Wetherspoons has switched to paper straws!)
"Straws are often left to float on the surface of the ocean where they slowly degrade into a toxic mess or are consumed by confused organisms." (http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/plastic-straws-and-the-environment/) This is heartbreaking, but we can do our bit to help.
We wouldn't be the first to join the movement either: "The pub chain JD Wetherspoon and Pizza Express have announced plans to phase them out completely, while other firms, such as All Bar One, say they plan to substantially reduce the availability of plastic straws in their branches. " (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42915440).
Other universities have joined the movement too, so it's definitely do-able: In 2017 Portsmouth University put a ban on plastic straws noting that 500,000,000 plastic straws are being produced daily and most only get used once.
Lets join the global fight against plastic pollution. Save our waters, save our organsims, save our planet.
Sources: http://finalstrawcornwall.co.uk/individuals/, https://thelastplasticstraw.org/,
Comments
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Lauren Jones wrote, 25-10-2018 - 17:46Please can this be considered in the context of people with swallowing problems (dysphagia) e.g. caused by cerebral palsy - some people require straws in order to drink more safely - they shouldn't have to put in a special request for a straw when they turn up to a cafe as that would be discriminatory. I completely agree that the majority of people can do without straws but we need to be mindful of the impact of removing the right to drink safely from people who need this method of access. Bamboo straws are more sustainable. There are options to put up signs near straws requesting people only take one if they need one. Thank you for taking this in to consideration.
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Deleted User wrote, 15-10-2019 - 13:06
Hi, thanks so much for submitting this as a big idea. We have removed plastic straws from the Students' Union buildings and the university is currently taking part in a campaign to remove single use plastics in their premises. You can purchase metal or bamboo straws on Amazon for a very reasonable price. With regards to students needing straws if they have swallowing problems, we do still have straws on the premises that can be asked for if needed. If you have any more questions about this, please email liv.broad@su.ntu.ac.uk.
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