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Plastic Straw Bans Are Gaining Steam but the Disabled Community Is Raising Serious Concerns

Starbucks recently announced a policy to eliminate all plastic straws and it's gotten some pushback.

Plastic Straw Bans Are Gaining Steam but the Disabled Community Is Raising Serious Concerns
XI'AN, CHINA - 2018/05/30: A girl drinks a Starbucks coffee with a plastic straw. Starbucks announced on July 9th that it would ban the use of plastic straws in its 28 thousand stores before 2020. (Photo by Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images)

A new effort to reduce pollution has been trending on a national scale. Recently, companies like Starbucks have announced policies intended to reduce the production and use of plastic straws. While the full effect of this policy won't be felt until 2020, Starbucks estimates that the move will eliminate more than 1 billion straws globally, most of which currently end up in landfills.

Last year, a video showing a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck up its nose went viral. In the aftermath, campaigns like #StopSucking—an effort to free oceans from plastic waste—have gained notable traction. In addition to Starbucks, many local municipalities and communities are likely to follow suit with their own bans. According to CNN, American Airlines will be eliminating plastic straws on its flights, in favor of stir sticks.

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