Help Park Ridge reduce plastic straw waste
Did you know that in the U.S. alone, we use 500 million straws a day?
That’s enough straw waste to wrap the circumference of the earth 2.5 times!
Because they’re so small, straws easily fall through the cracks in the recycling process and instead end up as trash—often in our oceans. In fact, plastic straws are one of the top trash items found on our beaches. They can also be harmful to animals.
Park Ridge is taking a step towards helping reduce plastic straw waste by asking our local restaurant owners to adopt SLURP — a Straws Literally Upon Request Policy. Instead of automatically providing straws with drinks when served, we are asking restaurants to instead provide straws to only those patrons who ask for them.
Each of us can support the cause by reducing our own use of plastic straws, using more environmentally friendly options, or skipping the straw altogether. Many small steps can add up to big change!
That’s enough straw waste to wrap the circumference of the earth 2.5 times!
Because they’re so small, straws easily fall through the cracks in the recycling process and instead end up as trash—often in our oceans. In fact, plastic straws are one of the top trash items found on our beaches. They can also be harmful to animals.
Park Ridge is taking a step towards helping reduce plastic straw waste by asking our local restaurant owners to adopt SLURP — a Straws Literally Upon Request Policy. Instead of automatically providing straws with drinks when served, we are asking restaurants to instead provide straws to only those patrons who ask for them.
Each of us can support the cause by reducing our own use of plastic straws, using more environmentally friendly options, or skipping the straw altogether. Many small steps can add up to big change!
Just a few of the many reasons that plastic
Straws Suck:
- They harm our oceans and sea life. Although straws make up a tiny fraction of ocean plastic, their small size makes them one of the most insidious polluters. They can entangle marine animals and are often consumed by fish, posing a significant threat to sea life.
- They’re not easily recycled. Most plastic straws are too lightweight to pass through the mechanical recycling sorter and often end up as trash instead of being properly recycled.
- They’re NOT biodegradable Plastic straws are made in 10 minutes, used in 20 and remain on earth forever.
- They’re a growing problem. Americans use 500 million straws a day—that's enough to circle the globe 2.5 times!
Watch the “straws” trailer
Filmmaker Linda Booker created a video to help bring awareness to the issue of straw pollution. Go Green Park Ridge is investigating the option of hosting a screening of this film in Park Ridge. "My goal for this documentary is to make people think about how small habits can add up to huge impact. Removing plastic straws is a tangible, simple change people and businesses can do that can truly help make a difference."—Linda Booker
