The straw problem

Plastic straws harm our oceans and sea life. Each year, 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals die from ingesting plastic.

Plastic straws are not biodegradable. Plastic "photo degrades" into smaller and smaller pieces that get ingested by marine and land animals and introduced into our food chain. Plastic is found in breast milk and is stored in fat. Plastic stored in the body can cause cancers, birth defects, immune system problems, and childhood developmental issues.

Plastic straws are not easily recycled and are a growing problem. They are found on beaches all over the world, as close as Lake Michigan's beaches in Waukegan.

Americans use 500 million plastic straws every day -- enough to circle the globe two and a half times or enough to fill Yankee Stadium nine times a year!

USA: 5 percent of the world's population; consumes 30 percent of the world's resources; creates 30 percent of the world's waste.

Don't need a straw? Don't ask for one. Go green and skip the straw.

Joan Sayre

Libertyville