“Minimizing Waste and Encouraging Green Practices”

1. INTRODUCTION

Earlier this year, a three-year-old video of researchers extracting a long, twisted tube from
a reptile’s bleeding nostril went viral. To date, it has accumulated more than 30 million views and
set off a moral panic.

The straw that broke the turtle’s beak also did a number on the camel’s back. Companies
like Starbucks, Ikea, and Hilton hotels have announced policies reducing or eliminating single-
use slurping devices. Communities in California, New Jersey, and Florida, the metropolis of
Seattle, have announced policies to phase out or restrict businesses from selling straws. And
some of the critique inspires serious head scratching: Disposable straws account for a very small
fraction of the total plastic waste that winds up in the oceans, and are pretty unexceptional in
terms of ecological. So, if straws are just a small part of a big problem, why not just pour all this
anti-straw effort into better waste management overall? Straws by nature of their design and
ubiquity are remarkably good at slipping out of the waste stream and into the wild.

The problem isn’t that straws fall below some size threshold that casual litterbugs use to
gauge their guilt. The real problem is that straws literally fall through the waste management
cracks. Also, straws are plastic, which means many people might mistakenly think they can be
recycled. Straws, in fact, cannot be recycled. Recycling plants are big, conveyer-belt driven
operations, and straws are so small they just fall off the conveyor belts and onto the recycling
plant floors, from whence they are sent to landfills. Another set of bags, another trip in a big truck.
Or boat itself is a huge percentage of US recycling and trash gets shipped away to other countries.

Once a straw is outside the bin, odds are it’s going to find its way to water. Weather has
an affinity for moving things around, especially those that are round, hollow, small, and light. A
city straw might sit in the sticky spot under a trash can for a while, but eventually some wind or
rain will probably wash it into a storm drain.

1
 i. The issues of the subject matter
ii. Importance and consequence of the issue to the human
capital/organization/society

In an effort to green practices, chain restaurants around the world have been encouraging
customers to stop using plastic straws. McDonald's Malaysia have also jumped on the bandwagon
by introducing a 'Say No to Straws' campaign starting 1st August 2018. Till now an official
statement has yet to be released by the fast food giant and all of the branches have already put
up signs reminding customers that plastic straws will no longer be provided on counter, unless
requested for at the counter. Although a straw seems minuscule in the world of plastic, it is said
that one straw can take up to 200 years to decompose. Multiply that with the amount that
Malaysians use daily and the number is no longer as small as we think. The detrimental impact
that plastic leaves on our planet became even more obvious when a sea turtle was found with a
plastic straw stuck up its nostrils in 2015.

In 2009, a 'Say No to Plastic Bags' campaign was launched in Penang, when the
government required customers to pay 20 cents for each plastic bag used. Customers were
instead encouraged to bring their own recyclable bags when shopping. The initiative was soon
implemented in other states around Malaysia.

WWF-Malaysia in Full Support of Plastic Straw Ban

This ban is included as a renewal requirement for business licenses, with full enforcement
beginning 1 January 2020. This provides a one-year grace period to provide themselves for
compliance with the new regulation. Awareness campaigns throughout the year will enable public
to understand the importance for this movement, so businesses and consumers alike will be able
to move with this change together.

The use of metal, bamboo, and paper straws opens another debate alongside the question
of completely biodegradable materials, WWF-Malaysia believes this is a fantastic first step
towards the sustainability of our environment. This ban is translated from concern and initiative
by our Government, businesses, and members of the public.

2
 WWF-Malaysia strives towards the benefit of our future generations by working to stop the
degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in
harmony with nature. Dedicated effort by each person to saving the environment is in turn, saving
humankind. By 2050, there will be more waste plastic in the sea than fish unless the industry
cleans up its act. Zooming even closer to home is the recent circulating news on the alarming
mountains of plastic waste in Jenjarom, Selangor, Malaysia. It further reinforces WWF-Malaysia’s
notion of reducing single-use plastic and the total support of this ban. The alternatives consist of:

i. Bamboo Straw

These are lightweight, reusable, and don’t have any chemicals or dyes. Brush with bamboo straws
are made straight from stalks and can be easily washed.

ii. Paper Straw

This is a single-use alternative to plastic straws. It is durable enough to not break down in a drink
and are fully compostable.

iii. Steel Straw

It is durable, easy to clean, and can be carried around in a bag without worrying about stains.

iv. Water Bottle or Reusable Cup With Straw

Reusable water bottles and cups with reusable straws and lids are an easy way to avoid using
plastic straws.

v. No Straw

Lids designed for a straw make this a little harder (iced coffee lids, for example), but brands
can develop lids that don’t need straws.

3. CONCLUSION

As a conclusion, It’s time to ditch all kinds of plastic and what it really comes down to is
living with less plastic, and changing old behaviors for green practices. If you don’t need to drink
using a straw, commit to skipping the straw and add your voice to the sea of people taking a stand
for the ocean. Say “no thanks.”’ It is a small step that goes a long way for ocean health.