Straws Suck

Among the variety of single-use packaging littering our streets, none seems as ubiquitous as the plastic straw.  We pick up dozens of plastic straws during our weekly cleanup yet many more make their way into storm drains and into our waterways. While small in size, a plastic straw’s impact on animals and the environment can be devastating.

A recent proposal by Oakland City Councilmembers Abel Guillen and Dan Kalb seeks to reduce the supply of this plastic detritus by requiring restaurants to provide straws only on request. Fewer plastic straws means less litter and that’s something we can definitely get behind.

Plastic straws littered in the Temescal neighborhood