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Sustainability is undoubtedly one of the “hottest” topics around the world. Since the day when a video of a turtle with a straw stuck up its nostrils got uploaded on YouTube, people went viral about the ban-of-plastics movement. The video itself is a very disturbing yet meaningful video that explicitly reveals the consequences of our actions. Not surprisingly, plastics make up the majority of the ocean debris, which many marine animals can encounter in their daily lives.
More and more companies located in Singapore are participating in the “no-waste” movement – Starbucks recently stated its position of “No straws by 2020”. KFC’s decision to cut straws and plastic caps from all of its outlets on June 18, 2018, made quite a controversy when it hit the public.
"We acknowledge the strain that single-use plastics put on our environment,” commented Lynette Lee, who is a general manager at the KFC management, Singapore. Up till now, all of these decisions seem perfectly fine and problem-free, so you may be asking “what’s the problem”. Well, it’s not that simple.
First up, many people think that statistics don’t lie. True true. They don’t lie but can be quite misleading. Let’s take a look again at the data provided above – plastics make up 69% of the wastes – but upon close inspection, we can discover that straws are less than 3% of the entire plastic wastes.
The composition of plastic debris in affecting marine life from various studies (Chua et al, 2014):
Type of product % Plastic bags 58 PET packages 36.9 Straws 2.6 Others 2.5
That is approximately 1.8% contribution to the debris. It is clearly evident that plastic bags are much more of a problem than straws – yet it seems as if the straws are all to blame for. Instead of looking at the bigger picture, we all may have been too focused on the wrong item.
Another problem that rises to the table is the fact that people with disabilities no longer have access to fluids easily. Patients with cerebral palsy, a disorder of muscle movements have recently complained about the “ban straw movement” throughout the world. Disability Rights Florida, an advocacy group, also recently issued the following statement: “Having plastic straws available is not a convenience, it is a necessity for many individuals with disabilities - alternatives such as paper straws do not offer the structural integrity provided by plastic straws and hence is not a good alternative”.
This article was in no means to written to tell people to go and consume plastic straws more – but rather, I wanted to focus on the idea of sustainability and human rights. I’m all for being more sustainable and protecting the environment, but if that is at the cost of people who need help, is that really a movement that can represent sustainability? Meh.
However, there are things which you can do to create a difference in our world. Instead of getting angry over the small picture, look at the bigger picture and focus on the main issues – plastic bags and bottles have proven otherwise to be worse. Use reusable bags when shopping instead of asking for plastic bags. Use reusable tumblers and mugs instead of one-time disposable cups. Make changes to what actually causes a major problem – that will bring us one step closer to achieving a healthy world, without affecting those who actually need assistance with straws and other minor items.