Plastic straws are one of the top items found in beach cleanups around the world and one of the most over-used items of single-use plastic. Here in New York City, plastic straws are used once and then tossed into the trash or left to litter our beaches, streets, parks, and waterways. Once they get into the environment, they slowly break down into smaller and smaller plastic particles that end up entering the food chain, hurting animals and polluting our food. Whole straws can choke wildlife if they are mistakenly ingested.

So let's do something about straws! There is legislation in New York City that would require restaurants and bars to provide straws only when requested by patrons, instead of being shoved into every drink automatically. This will drastically reduce the amount of straws used, and the amount of straws that then escape the waste stream and enter our waterways, storm drains, and ocean.

Take a few minutes and send a message to your NYC Council Member and the Mayor telling them to support bill Intro 936-A!

Pro Tip: add extra text to your message, making it unique. Unique messages tend to get recorded and counted individually.