The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ban plastic straws and takeout containers treated with fluorinated chemicals on Tuesday. San Francisco joins other cities including Monmouth Beach, New Jersey and Seattle, Washington. According to San Francisco Department of Environment Director Debbie Raphael, nearly 70 percent of litter on the streets of SF comes from single-use plastics, and an estimated 1 million straws are used in the city every day.
The ban will take effect in July of 2019. San Francisco will follow Seattle and become the second major city to ban plastic straws. Several other California cities have passed their own bans, and California state government is currently considering a statewide ban. Some large corporations are taking a stand as well. For example, Starbucks has pledged to eliminate straws from all of its stores by 2020.
Critics point out that straws make up a small percentage of the total litter in our oceans and that the United States is responsible for a comparatively small fraction of the total plastic waste. These critiques of the single-use straw bans deny the fact that, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, straws are routinely among the 10 most collected items in beach cleanup programs and the United States is a responsible for polluting the oceans in a tangible way. Additionally, the “we aren’t the worst!” argument is weak. It encourages a race to the bottom. And instead of striving to be leaders toward a cleaner, less disposable and destructive culture, it creates an easy way out and an excuse to maintain the status quo.
Disposable plastic straws are used an average of just twenty minutes each before being tossed. It takes them to 450-1,000 years to decompose. This ban in San Fransisco is yet another step forward in the movement to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the oceans and an encouraging signal to other cities across the country that positive change is possible.
PLEASE PEOPLE….DO NOT BUY PLASTIC STRAWS. DO NOT TAKE THEM WHEN AT A RESTAURANT…SPEAK UP ABOUT PLASTIC POLLUTION. PLEASE DO NOT USE ANY SINGLE-USE PLASTIC!
A positive step forward.
By the look of that photo they should also be banning cigarettes…
Yeah, ought to ban cancer sticks, too, or at least enforce littering laws. Why would smokers care about *your* air and *your* land when they pollute their own bodies? Despicable.
If we dont start finally care for Earth and environment and clean nature. we all will end up in a chunk in 50-100 Years. it is not nature and not Earth to blame. Blame Trump and all politicians not doing their homework. care for mother Earth. They mind and heart is only focused in money and how to make even more than enough. without share of course! your childrens children will not thank you for not care for a good and clean environment. They are the poor onse who must pay and suffer for the ignorance of politicians. Leaders who dont care or do nothing or not enough !
From the photo used, it is clear that smokers are still a rude and careless group – no one needs to throw cigarette butts anywhere except in proper containers.
Thanks and well done to San Francisco. Let’s hope everyone else follows.
Well done San Francisco. Let’s hope everyone follows.
Idea: Bamboo reusable cups, bowls, and flatware.
Need a company to provide labels to businesses that use such products for free return of rinsed items; Bamboo company sanitizes, and sends back to business.
Customers pay a deposit for the item, which they get back if rinsed clean. Perhaps a one for one swap, or a return of no more than x at a time (depending on price of deposit).
Great !
Every town,city,state and country should do this. Bravo San Francisco!
Shocking what people post in the comments sometimes…. Just because one doesn’t agree with everything doesn’t mean one shouldn’t support good when they see it. It’s also interesting to have such a hateful comment posted to a site that is dedicated to helping improve the world we live in.
Great job San Fran! This will also make it more visible to all of us who are so used to using these straws and help us all to stop! I totally forget about this when I order a to-go drink somewhere, and there are no other options offered by most establishments. They probably have to wait until 2019 to allow people to switch over to new methods but hopefully that doesn’t mean people aren’t already starting the process! 🙂 I wonder what they’re going to use instead?
LOL…band plastic straws but not ban illegals breaking our laws and sneaking into our country? Ban straws but not ban those drug addicts taking over public streets and shoting up heroin? San Francisco the liberal trash state. So backward they deserve what they get.
I fully agree with that.
The issue with most hand-held throw-aways is that the consumer chooses not to properly dispose of them. Folks, it is always a choice.
It’s great but a wait
Why wait another 11 months it’s happening NOW.
Good on you S.F. But why wait until July 2019? 👨👩👦👦🏘🏫