Three major airlines have announced the ban on disposable plastic straws
United Airlines recently announced that it would abandon the supply of plastic straws and stir bars on the aircraft because people are worried that plastic waste will pose a threat to environmental pollution and wildlife.
Starting in November this year, the third largest airline in the United States will provide bamboo products to replace disposable plastic straws and agitators in all cabins. The airline, the third largest airline in the United States, operates 4,600 flights a day, last year. 1.48 billion passengers.
United refused to say whether these bamboo sticks and blenders are more expensive than plastic products, but said they are slightly heavier.
American Airlines, the world's largest airline, took similar steps in July this year and said it would provide plastic substitutes and stir bars in its lounge.
In May of the same year, Alaska Airlines announced that it would abandon the plastic mixer made of white birch and start using bamboo products.
The trend of ban on food, beverage and food is obvious
The airline's shift to other materials on board and in the lounge reflects the restaurant and food and beverage industries. In these industries, several companies have promised to use alternatives that can replace plastic straws or plastic packaging. For example, Starbucks is 7 this year. According to the month, by 2020, all of its coffee shops will ban the use of plastic straws. The use of plastic straws, tableware and cocktail decorations has been banned in Seattle, where Starbucks is headquartered.
In addition, from Marriott to Hyatt, from Carrefour to McDonald's, more and more companies have issued bans on the use of plastic straws.
Plastic back pot, the first source of marine pollution originates from cigarettes
At the end of August, the latest report from the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) pointed out that the world's largest man-made pollutant is not a plastic straw, nor a plastic bag, but a cigarette butt.
Tobacco butts are not only ubiquitous, but to a large extent the current disposal of cigarette butts is unregulated. This means that the almost unpredictable number of cigarettes will flow to the ocean. But many individuals and organizations are working to change this.
The report cited a cigarette butt contamination project, hoping to ban the use of cellulose filters made of Cellulose Acetate, a plastic that may take more than a decade to break down. Nearly two-thirds of the 5.6 trillion cigarettes were discarded at random. In fact, since 1986, more than 60 million cigarette butts have been collected.
According to statistics, plastic bottles, covers, plastic forks, plastic food packaging, etc. at the seaside account for only one-third of the recycled materials.
NBC interviewed Thomas Novotny, founder and public health professor of the event. He said that filters do not bring health benefits, but rather as marketing tools, while making people 'easier to smoke'.
Moreover, it is not just activists who are aware of the potential hazards of filters. It is reported that tobacco companies themselves are targeting biodegradable filters and dispensing portable ashtrays, etc., to avoid being responsible for cigarette waste. But so far, These efforts have not been successful, and smokers tend to use cigarette filters.
While tobacco companies and some start-ups are continuing to look for alternatives to alternative cigarette waste, Novotny and others are working to pass legislation to ban cigarette filters. But so far, attempts to pass legislation have failed, and the reasons for failure are largely Because many legislators have received campaign contributions from the tobacco industry.