ADVICE FROM OWLIE
Q: Dear Owlie,
I heard National Skip the Straw Day is this month and I
really want to participate! I want my friends to participate too, but they
don’t know if they should. Do you have any information I could share with them
to convince them to participate? Thank you!
Sincerely,
Straw SaverA: Dear Straw Saver,
You’ve come to the right place! National Skip the Straw Day is an annual holiday that occurs on the fourth Friday in February. The holiday was founded in 2017 by a group of Michigan students called the Coral Keepers, and it’s a great reminder of the importance of eliminating the use of single-use plastic in our everyday lives.
Did you know each year the U.S. uses enough straws to wrap
around the Earth 2.5 times and fill 127 school buses daily! Straws are also
non-biodegradable and non-recyclable, and even if they’re burned, their plastic
releases toxic chemicals into the air. However, most straws end up on the
ground where they stay for around 400 years. This means that every straw that
anyone has ever used still exists today, polluting beaches and rivers, and
harming sea life such as turtles, fish and seabirds.
It’s so important to help by reducing the use of single-use
plastic and picking up any litter and properly throwing it away. Reusable
straws and bags are great alternatives, too. So, break free from plastic and
tell your friends and family to remember to skip the straw on February 28!
Owlie
