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  • Essay / The unintended consequences of banning plastic straws

    I was indifferent to the “no plastic straw” policy because I can do without straws when consuming most drinks. However, the reports and findings I discovered about single-use straws convinced me that I should be concerned. If not disposed of properly, these straws could harm marine life. Although I worry about climate change and pollution, I am somewhat guilty of not actively helping to prevent them. I barely recycle my takeout containers and utensils. So I figured supporting the straw ban would be my first step toward becoming "eco-friendly" and looking less like a monster contributing to the Earth's imminent demise. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay I began my quest by finding alternatives to plastic straws. The first was a collapsible straw which was interesting because it seemed easy to carry in my bag. I first heard about it on FinalStraw's Kickstarter page, but eventually purchased a similar product from a local retailer. The collapsible straw only had one thickness which would not fit all drinks. I then got another metal straw, which I use for bubble tea. My metal bubble tea straw was purchased from The Hive, a Malaysian social enterprise that aims to promote a zero waste lifestyle to consumers through their daily use products and by sourcing from local farmers to food products. When I visited their website, they mentioned that RM1 for every purchase of their reusable metal straws contributes to the #TakNakStraw (#NoStraw) campaign. The campaign was launched to raise awareness about reducing single-use plastic consumption in Malaysia and is now a coalition made up of non-governmental organizations and businesses. After using both reusable straws, I realized I was too lazy to put them back in my bag after washing. I'm just going to continue to pass straws. By reducing and eliminating single-use straws, this could give rise to other potential problems such as increased pollution from the production of reusable straws, retailer profits and consumer health, as well as negligence pollution due to the production of reusable straws. poor waste management. As retailers rush to meet consumer demands by replacing their single-use straws with reusable straws, the amount of materials spent in production is increasing. Manufacturers of these products must ensure that the production process does not produce residual waste that requires excessive effort to manage. If the production of reusable straws increases pollution, consumers' environmental efforts could become counterproductive. I am concerned because there is no impact study on the production processes of reusable straws to consider if I made an environmentally friendly decision. The next step is corporate profits and consumer health. Will companies sell products so durable that consumers only need one? Manufacturers and retailers might choose less durable materials, so consumers buy more replacements when straws wear out. As consumers and retailers emphasize lower prices,?