Explanation: Should NZ ban plastic straws?

Plastic Straws!, People around the world like plastic straws but some really don’t. In my opinion, plastic straws are awful, dreadful and harmful. Ever realise, why the word plastic straw has plastic in it, let me give you a hint! It's PLASTIC! which also means it takes a long time to degrade. Straws are harming the marine life. How would you feel if you were a turtle going along the shores and ate a plastic straw, thinking it could be food. Straws release toxic that could harm these sea creatures.

Plastic straws are too small to be recycled so they are either thrown into the landfills or blown away to a nearby river, lake or beach which could harm the sea creatures living in these oceans. Think about it, 65,000 straws were found during clean ups on beaches!, what if that many straws were filled up on your favourite beach? Did you know that it takes about 5 human life times just for plastic to break down? Wow that is a lot of years. Once plastic straws break down they turn into many little micro-plastics that can easily enter our environment. If straws are being taken away it will decrease the amount of plastic that is being used.


According to the National Park Services it is said that straws are the 11th most common piece of trash found when doing ocean clean ups. About 172 million straws are being used everyday and thrown away. During 2015 a small helpless turtle had a 15 meter straw stuck up its nose. Think about the pain he was going through at that time, how would you feel if that was you?. Marine life has been hurt, trapped and even died from the amount of plastic we are throwing away. I am glad to see that people are making a change and bringing in metal, paper and even bamboo straws.

Did you know that drinking sugary drinks using a straw can actually cause a problem of cavities and tooth decay on your teeth. One stream of your own beverage, can run through your straw and into a small area of your teeth and just by that action it can damage your enamel and cause cavities and tooth decay. Drinking out of a straw can also be harmful to children. Little children can even choke from straws. You might even choke from straws one day!.



What’s the point of having straws?. When it's obviously going to be thrown away and used once, which can end up in the sea. What if you heard the turtles painful cries and moans? Think about your home, you don't want rubbish in your house so why do this to these sea creatures. We have listened, we have learned so now let's save the turtles, thank you!.