As humans, we tend to forget to be more responsible in managing our wastes, which leads to harmful effects on the environment. It is our way of living that brings destruction to our environment. In this case, the problem will not be solved simply by sorting out wastes or learning how to recycle.
One known destructive human practice that puts nature in imminent danger is the production and use of plastics. Believe it or not, BILLIONS of plastic straws are being disposed to landfills every day. This is already the best-case scenario actually, in spite of the danger of quickly filling up landfills with plastic straws and having the risk of seepage of toxic chemicals due to deposition of plastic components. To note, we are talking about plastic straws alone, and not the entire family of plastic waste materials being disposed by humans daily.
It would be fortunate to say if all plastic straws were actually disposed of properly, for some of them still find their way in rivers and oceans where aquatic animals thrive, putting an entire ecosystem at risk.
Now, many people are advocating to use metal straws so that we can lessen our dependency on straws every time we dine out and drink our beverages. The advantages of using metal straws sound convincing, but we should be careful if this is actually a long-lasting solution, or worse, if it will introduce another problem down the road.
Think About What Metal Straws Can Actually Do To Us In A Negative Way
Metal straw is reusable, which means that one can always bring this with him or her to a diner and simply wash the metal straw after drinking. Metal straw actually sounds like a good news, as people will no longer have to dispose tons of plastic straws every hour. Think about how many people go to restaurants and use straws after their meal, which willl be thrown to the trash bin right after drinking their beverages.
Although, the mere manufacturing of the metal straw itself can still have some bad effects on the environment. Note that there are toxic chemicals used to form the metal straws. Also, when a metal straw has already reached its useful life and is ready for disposal, it can also deliver toxic particles to the surroundings, especially when it is improperly disposed of. Think of it as a bad way of pulling prank using an ios app for prank call, except that it is completely not fun for everyone.
Another thing to point out about the use of metal straw is the danger that it can pose to its user, as there are already reports of accidents involving metal straws. Therefore, we should be extra careful when using it in consuming our drinks. This is similar to how we should be very responsible in recycling phone parts, because they may still present hazard to people around you.