Plastic straws have become a hot debate in recent years. Environmentalists and animal lovers alike have heard of or seen footage of animals ingesting plastic straws. One depicts a rescuer pulling a straw out of the bloody nose of a sea turtle. While everyone loves the cool taste of a soda or an iced coffee hitting their palate, plastic straws are extremely harmful for the environment and the animals that we share it with.

According to Diana Lofflin, the founder of Strawfree.org, “You use a straw for 10 minutes, and it never goes away. “For a few minutes of enjoying your beverage how you like it, the straw could cause countless animals to die.

What Lofflin means by this is that straws are very hard to recycle, regardless of what the straw companies claim. The type of plastic itself is not the problem. Other similar plastics can travel down the conveyor belt in recycling factories without problem. However, small objects, like bottle caps and straws, get sorted out and sent to landfills. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, straws are one of the most common pieces of trash that wash up on shore.

Of course, most would prefer the sturdiness of a plastic straw over the potential flimsiness of a paper straw. Some argue that the paper straws still do not provide an adequate drinking experience, claiming that they fall apart as you use them or that they alter the taste of the drink. The solution to that problem that is even more environmentally friendly is omitting the straws from your waste all together. If using a straw is unavoidable, either because you have a disability or because you do not want your teeth to yellow from coffee or soda, then you could always purchase your own package of stainless steel or reusable plastic straws from Amazon.com.

Those with disabilities should not need bear any more additional expenses or experience any more inconveniences than they already do. The paper straws can prove difficult to use because they are softer. Therefore, reliable straws should be available, in case someone forgets their own reusable straw. McDonald’s in the United Kingdom has started to keep the straws behind the counter so that if you do need a straw to drink, you can request one. Following the banning of plastic straws in Malibu, many of the restaurants and bars have decided to implement straws made of pasta instead of paper. Testimonials have raved about how they feel sturdier than plastic straws and that the taste of their drink is not altered because of the straw. Of course, there are gluten free pasta-straw options as well.

Using plastic straws, while convenient and cheap, is unacceptable for the environment to simply ignore any longer. The push for reusable water bottles and coffee cups had their time and their critics. Adding reusable straws into your life is much more convenient, but still has a similar environmental impact. Just like voting, every straw counts. The less waste you personally produce, the fewer sea animals will suffer.