Under pressure from activists, the European Union, Britain, India and even fast food giants like McDonald’s have all made some headway towards bringing the use of plastic straws to an end. According to peer-reviewed US journal Science magazine, eight million metric tons of plastic are dumped into the Earth’s oceans and seas each year – 250 kilograms (550 pounds) every second. For years, the focus of environmentalists has been on plastic bags. But plastic straws have now come into the spotlight, thanks in part to images that have gone viral on the internet. One online video about the danger posed by seemingly innocuous straws shows a sea turtle rescued off Costa Rica getting one removed from its nostril.

Manufacturers clutching at straws as war on plastic rages. (2018, July 4). Panay News, pp. B3, B6.