[...] "Plastic pollution is surpassing crisis levels in the world's oceans, and I'm proud Seattle is leading the way and setting an example for the nation by enacting a plastic straw ban," Mami Hara, the general manager of Seattle Public Utilities, told KOMO News.
The National Park Service estimates 500 million straws are used by Americans each day.
The Seattle ban actually began with an ordinance prohibiting one-time-use food service items in 2008, but the city has allowed exemptions on certain items every year since. For example, Styrofoam food packaging was banned in 2009, according to the Seattle Times. But because of the market, plastic utensils and straws have been exempted in Seattle's ban until now, the newspaper reported.
Seattle bans plastic straws, utensils, becoming first major US city to do so
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday July 04 2018, @12:39PM (3 children)
What part of "no noticeable effect" did you miss?
Or the restaurant could provide those straws as they do now. After all, they know we'll need them. Environmental virtue signaling is one of those places where people routinely ignore that intent need not match outcome. It's remarkable how poorly justified this plastic straw ban is, yet it'll continue anyway because someone needs to publicly pretend to care about the environment.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 04 2018, @03:27PM
I can't speak to plastic straws in the ocean,but banning the common use of unnecessary drinking aids made of plastic WILL result in less plastic waste overall. This isn't rocket science and just look at jmorris to see how much crazier your "side" is. Common sense is your mantra right up until your emotions get triggered.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday July 04 2018, @04:07PM (1 child)
Define "need", please.
I have never, in my life, "needed" a straw. I've most certainly not needed once since I had my coffee IV put in. "Need" is something like water, oxygen, and nutrients. There may be some small number of people on this earth who really and truly "need" a straw to drink with. Dude got his jaw broken in an accident, and has half of his head wired together - he'll have a helluva time drinking without a straw. (Someone once told me that beer is more intoxicating when sucked through a straw.)
Not only have you failed to make any points with this, but you've made yourself look a little silly. "I NEEEEED my straw!"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 04 2018, @10:03PM
Time to have your friend get tested for neurological problems.