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Full Version: Straws - UK to bring in controls on plastics
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https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48358002
  • It is believed that the use of plastic straws, stir sticks  and plastic cotton buds (otherwise known as Q Tips), are bad for the environment, especially marine life.  The UK has brought in legislation that will reduce the use of single use plastics by April 2020.  Straws will no longer be available in grocery stores however advocates for the disabled have said that straws are still necessary so pharmacies will sell them.  Restaurants and bars won't be allowed to give customers a straw with every drink however will be able to provide them upon request. Personally I still ask for a straw since I don't like the taste of the paper straws and have concerns with how clean the glasses are.  Plastic stir sticks will be totally banned and I support this ban since a person can use a metal spoon to stir their coffee or if the coffee is in a covered travel mug, a quick shake and the contents are stirred.  Plastic cotton buds are also being removed from sale however will still be available for lab and police work. The cotton parts of the Q Tips break down however the plastic stems do not. These cotton buds are useful for cleaning ears or applying small quantities of liquid so I'm not sure what could replace them. An interesting quote from the article is " Mr. Gove said: "These items are often used for just a few minutes but take hundreds of years to break down, ending up in our seas and oceans and harming precious marine life."  As more countries take steps to reduce or ban the use of single use plastics, it is likely that Canada will follow suit and join the measures to protect our environment.