It’s become so automatic (at least in the US) to get a straw with your drink that we rarely think about it. We are so used to the paper-covered straw sticking out of our drink. But straws are one of the most common items picked up during beach cleanups. And they do harm marine wildlife (many of you have seen the painful straw-in-the-nose-of-a-sea-turtle video) and it’s still plastic debris, that for the most part is unnecessary (there are instances where many people need straws, so they should still be accessible). But most times, we could easily do without one. So today, we are challenging you to ask for no straw please the next time you order a soda, a pop, or a cocktail and keep one more straw out of the trash (and potentially out of the ocean).
The National Park Service estimates that Americans are using an amazing 500 MILLION straws a day! Eliminating as many of these as possible has to be a good thing!
If you do need a straw, there are alternatives. Using a reusable straw is a viable option. And we can recommend that on St. Croix at least, you can get a great bamboo reusable straw at Tap Deck and Billiards right in Frederiksted!
The St. Croix Leatherback Project is supported by the Sea Turtle Census Initiative, which is sponsored by The Ocean Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) organization, based in Washington, D.C., but working globally to protect our oceans.
The St. Croix Sea Turtle Project 