The Straw that Broke the Earth's Back

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 02/22/2018 10:35 AM EST
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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pile of straws

Modern straws, as we know them today, are based on a version made from - you guessed it; straw! Originally made from a stalk of rye grass, in the 1880's, an American inventor wrapped some sturdy paper around a pencil to create a paper drinking straw, coated the straw in wax and the modern straw was born! By the 1970's, plastic straws ruled the market and began to litter our environment.

The Problem

trailer
  • Single-use plastic straws are cheap, readily available and often disposed of after a single use.
  • In the U.S. alone, we use 500 million plastic straws per day. That's enough to fill Yankee Stadium over 9 times a year.
  • Plastic straws are among the top 10 items found on International Coastal Cleanup Day.
  • We don't have systems in place to effectively capture and recycle most straws at recycling facilities. They quite literally fall through the cracks.
  • Plastic straws like other plastic products don't biodegrade, meaning they continue to break into smaller pieces that persist in the environment and enter our food chains, specifically in aquatic environments.

What Can You Do?

Participate

Educate

  • Share your story on social media with the hashtags #SkipTheStrawDay and #1LessStraw.
  • Spread the word - plastic straws cannot be recycled in your curbside recycling bin. Ensure any plastic straws are placed in the trash and do not end up as litter. Better yet, don't use them!
  • Ask restaurants and other establishments to adopt an "offer first" policy or to stop using single-use plastic straws all together.
  • Research available educational resources by NOAA and Ocean Conservancy, and check out The Last Straw Community Toolkit.

Funding Opportunities - Application Deadlines

Conferences

Upcoming Events

March

April

May

We Want To Hear From You!

  • Have questions about recycling? Not sure how to properly recycle this item or that? Email us at organicrecycling@dec.ny.gov with the subject line "FAQ about Recycling" and your questions will be answered in an upcoming DEC Delivers focused on frequently asked recycling questions.
  • Is there a topic you'd like to learn more about? Or a public event or workshop related to recycling (organics, textiles, electronics, traditional recyclables, etc.) you'd like the greater community to know about? Email us at organicrecycling@dec.ny.gov.