Scotland Is Set To Ban Straws, after a campaign called ‘The Last Straw’, by the Sunday Mail. The law to ban straws could come into force as early next year in Scotland.
This would make Scotland the first country in Europe to ban straws. There is a call to ban straws in other parts of the UK, Europe and the United States of America, due to the harmful impacts straws have on wild animals.
Ban Straws and Save Wild Animals
Banning straws would help save wild animals. It’s not the only the only form of plastic that is being targeted. There is a move to ban and reduce all kinds of plastic, because of it’s harm on wild animals, and the devastating environmental impact it has on nature.
The Scottish Government is also seeking to ban plastic cotton buds, for the same reasons they are banning plastic straws; because of it’s devastating environmental impact and the harm it does to wild animals. This means that the ban on straws, is likely to happen in 2019.
Where Next After We Ban Straws?
We don’t have to use plastic straws; there is alternatives to plastic straws. An excellent alternative for plastic straws, is biodegradable straws. Biodegradable straws seem identical to plastic straws, the difference is, is that they decompose quickly after they are thrown away. It takes from three to six months for biodegradable straws to decompose. Unlike plastic, which takes over 400 years to decompose.
Our goal should be to ban plastic straws and move to biodegradable straws, as we could be solving one environmental disaster, while contributing to another – take bamboo for instance.
One of the alternatives to plastic straws, is bamboo straws. On the surface this seems like a suitable alternative, as they are biodegradable and eco-friendly (to an extent). However, it contributes to bamboo deforestation. This is a massive problem.
Bamboo deforestation is a massive problem for several reasons. It takes away food and resources of shelter for one of the World’s most Critically Endangered animals – Panda’s. And, it is also responsible for contributing to the loss of bamboo species themselves. It’s estimated that half of the World’s bamboo species face extinction because of deforestation.
Therefore, or efforts to clean up Oceans through banning plastics, like the ban on plastic straws, could end in humanity contributing to another environmental disaster – deforestation and a loss of land species, plants and animals alike.
Therefore, a ban on plastic straws is a good start. But, ensuring we don’t contribute to other environmental disasters, is even better.
Sources:
https://www.allianceonline.co.uk/biodegradable-bendy-straw-psbio001.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImcK4tL-g2QIVzrXtCh3AdAdTEAQYASABEgIRM_D_BwE
http://www.ecostrawz.co.uk/natural-bamboo-drinking-straws-145mm-332-p.asp
https://www.thebalance.com/how-long-does-it-take-garbage-to-decompose-2878033
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/scotland-plastic-straw-ban-pollution-2019-cotton-buds-a8206636.html
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/may/11/environment.environment