The environmental movement of the moment is the elimination of plastic straws. Although theyre small, they are mighty in number. about 500,000 million plastic straws are thrown away every day in the United States. Unfortunately, many of them end up as litter in our streets or worse, plastic trash in our oceans. The majority of straws that are properly disposed of end up the landfill, even though theyre technically recyclable.

So a movement has been growing to do away with plastic straws, and its had some success. McDonalds in the U.K. is switching to paper straws. Seattle just enacted a plastic straw ban in the city, along with a ban on plastic utensils. Customers at food service establishments must ask for a straw, and when they are given one, it will be a compostable one. The compostable straws can be either plastic or paper. There is one group that is exception to this rule: Customers who have a medical reason to need a flexible, plastic straw will be provided with one.

Who needs a plastic straw

At a recent visit to one of New Jerseys famous diners, my sons and I were presented with our beverages sans straws, along with an additional glass that had three, wrapped plastic straws in it. That way, we could take or leave the straws, and if we left them, they wouldnt have to be thrown away. We left the straws. We dont need a straw to drink from a glass at home, and being in a restaurant doesnt suddenly make us unable to put a glass up to our mouth.

However, there are some people who need plastic straws because straws give them the freedom to drink independently. People with disabilities often need to use straws, as Robyn Powell, a woman with a physical disability that affects her arms and legs, thoughtfully explained in an opinion piece on Huffington Post.

She says she wants to save the environment, but she also wants to be able to drink independently, and a straw allows her to do that. She is someone who is able to use reusable straws at home, but when shes out, she depends on plastic straws. Shes concerned that the movement to ban plastic straws that is rapidly picking up speed may leave her with the need to rely on others to help her drink when shes out.

She also notes that for some people, like those with Parkinsons, super sturdy straws like metal or bamboo are dangerous because theyre too strong. A paper straw left in liquid a long time can become a soggy, choking hazard for some people.

Not making perfect the enemy of good

Powell advocates that until an acceptable alternative to the plastic straw is created, its appropriate for those with disabilities to have bendable, plastic straws available to them on demand. Jessica Grono, a woman with Cerebral Palsy explains on Cerebral Palsy News Today that although she fully understands why fewer plastic straws are important to the environment, we need to consider people first. She, too, would like to see them available on demand for those who truly need them.

What Im seeing as Im reading pieces by those with disabilities is a simple, reasonable request. Please dont do away completely with plastic straws. There are many people who rely on them, and they should be made available to them. The goal should not be the perfect elimination of plastic straws wher none are ever manufactured or used. The goal should be for those who dont need a plastic straw to not be given them or ask for them, and those who need them — whether permanently or temporarily — to have easy access to them. I think we should all be good with that, although people with disabilities dont need the approval of others for them to have the right to be as independent as possible.

As plastic straw bans — whether by a government entity of a business — continue to gain momentum, it should be emphasized that ban only unnecessary plastic straws is whats needed, not all plastic straws.

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