National Skip the Straw Day

We are indebted to a group of young activists in Whitehall, Michigan, a group of young activists in Whitehall, Michigan, the fourth Friday in February, the fourth Friday in February, which falls on the 25th. February this year. As the fight against global warming and plastic pollution continues, this holiday we'll take the time to consider whether we really need that weird plastic tube to enjoy your favorite drinks or not. Anyway, we can drink more water by going straight to the edge of the glass!

Something about National Skip the Straw Day

In the past, humans have enjoyed drinking a beverage by using a cylindrical tube. The Coral Keepers will request you to consider how to celebrate National Skip the Straw Day on every fourth Friday in February annually.

If Marvin Stone, the inventor of the first paper straw in 1888, were still alive until now, he might be shocked to learn about five large areas of the ocean, known as gyres, where garbage is concentrated on plastic waste. The currents of the sea create whirlpools that trap plastic and in the collection are plastic drinking straws.

Straws and other plastics harm marine life in many ways. Birds, fish and other sea creatures inadvertently consume plastic or when they mistake it for food. Plastic is not biodegradable, which will change into microscopic and finer pieces. When plastics decompose, they produce bisphenol A (BPA), which interferes with the reproductive systems of marine organisms. It also produces a suspected carcinogen, the styrene monomer.

According to an analysis report by the National Park Service, there are 500 million straws used every day in the US! Therefore, on National Skip the Straw Day, 500 million straws probably won't end up in landfills or in the ocean.

We could give you all sorts of other statistics to convince you to Skip Straw on National Skip Straw Day (and on other days), but we wanted to show you how.

History of National Skip the Straw Day

In 2017, the Coral Keepers, or a group of teen activists created a National Skip the Straw Day which will take place every fourth Friday in February. Among intense conversations about the planet’s status and the potentially fatal effects of plastic waste on organisms in the world's largest oceans, high school students from Whitehall, Michigan decided to establish this day to educate others about the many biodegradable alternatives to these small but powerful cylindrical straws.

The straw as we know it today was patented by Marvin Stone of Washington DC in 1888. While sipping an afternoon mint flavor through a grass straw, Stone became unsatisfied with the taste of the straw, vegetable and whiskey blend, so he decided to wrap a piece of bread. Instead, paper into a tube to sip his drink.

With the proliferation of plastic goods (and all sorts of other quick, microwaveable and treatable things) in the 1960s, straws moved from the earth-friendly substance of paper to its less-than-friendly cousin. Its better, plastic. It takes a plastic straw around 200 years to decompose back to earth, meaning that every straw since its invention is still floating somewhere on the planet to this day.

The Coral Keepers have asked us all to 'Tip the Glass' instead of sipping through a straw this holiday, at the very least, and consider eliminating beverage accessories altogether, if possible. These straws not only create toxic by-products when exposed to heat, but also pose a physical hazard to marine life that may try to eat them or they may become trapped in the blowhole or fish airways.

Celebrating National Skip the Straw Day

For most of us, the simplest way is to pick up the glass and bring it back just like our parents taught us to do when we were four or five years old. It may take some practice and possibly both hands. There are other fun, eco-friendly, healthy options out there.

• Bamboo straws with features such as renewable, reusable and biodegradable are one of the smart choices today.
• Paper straws, although still disposable, are biodegradable and come from a renewable source.
• Glass straws are also one of the good choices with durable, colorful design, suitable for many types of drinks.
• Stainless steel straws are a great choice for those who like our cold drinks!

Other ways to observe:

• Be volunteer to clean up some beaches, parks or neighborhoods. Note how many straws are in all the litters.
• Plan ahead. How often do you eat fast food or buy drinks? You will usually receive a straw before you have a chance to refuse. Be prepared when you order a drink without a straw.
• Share your solutions and use #NationalSkipTheStrawDay on social media.