Kourt and I both share a passion for clean eating and green living, so I was so excited when she asked me to do a column sharing my favorite tips and tools to help everyone do their part to go green.
I’m sure you’ve seen the disturbing photos on the gram (if not, see below), so you know our ocean is heavily polluted with plastic products. One of the top 10 collected items picked up at beach cleanups is plastic straws.
I’m not a big straw user, but I know a lot of people who say they literally “can’t drink without a straw.” For those of you with straw fixations, think about swapping plastic straws for stainless steel or glass. I recently ordered wide glass straws for my smoothies, and I actually prefer it to a regular straw. And then, of course, everyone says, “but how do you clean them?” It takes two seconds to shove a little pipe cleaner brush down the straw, and then throw it into the dishwasher or rinse with soap and water. You spend more time perfecting a winged liner than cleaning a reusable straw, I promise. Two seconds of your life contributes to a lifetime of living on a clean planet; I’d say it’s worth it.
Next time you’re at a restaurant or a bar, make a conscious choice to opt out of using a straw. These small changes can contribute to a larger eco-friendly movement that is necessary and time-sensitive.
To learn about more ways to contribute and protect our ocean, visit oceanconservancy.org.
