This Online Group Is Dedicated To “Mildly Interesting” Stuff, And Here Are Their 50 Best Posts (New Pics)

I don't get the paper straw thing, especially when your drink also comes with a plastic cup and plastic lid.

You can just use your lips.

we aren't THE problem... but we are A problem

This is a very good point. I suspect because individuals are easier to manipulate and corporations have power, money and politicians on their side.

This is a very good point. I guess individuals are easier to manipulate while corporations have much more power,money and politicians to get what they want or cover up the mess they make.

They get thrown in the bin like any other straw at work too, which I feel is a kick in the face, I think the paper once should be recycled into mulch or something, no point in going half way with saving turtles and nature and s**t. The plastic feeling ones made of marshmallow is amazing though, no soggy ness and they decompose quicker than paper

This is a very good point. I suspect individuals are easier to manipulate. Corporations also have the money, power and politicians to get or cover up whatever they want.

But we are ALSO the problem. Yes, corporations need to change, but so do we. Look at how much plastic you use in a week. Collect it for one week and then look. It's disgusting.

Not to mention there are straws made from corn, and bamboo, and rice that feel like plastic. So why cheap out? I take 10 paper straws and change every few minutes.

Even if corporations are responsible for most pollutoin, there's no reason not to reduce your own use, like reducing the 500 million straws used each day in the USA.

I'd pay the cost for the paper straw to be donated to the ocean cleanup fund and have so much more impact

You know who corporations sell to? YOU

I love your comment. Germany banned plastic straws but our plastic trash is shipped to Asia and burned in the open on beautyful islands. Privat vs corporate

Yeah the companies make them regardless and if we don’t buy them, it’s all going to the ocean anyways

Not to mention that individual effort will never touch the problem. It was an easy way for companies to shift blame.

This is both true and not true. It's not that we could just dictate them what to do or not - I think every society has the right to proclaim rules within which a market and competition can take place, and even more so, not prohibiting everything unwanted, but taxing it higher and/or giving subsidies to those reducing their impact (especially in external trade, you can't do much more than that with a somehow sound reasoning behind it AND an actual chance for it to work), but the opinion that the freedom of the corporate overlords to accept more damage someone else WILL pay for for more profit is something we should neither accept nor allow has somehow become to be seen as radical. I don't really get this, but that's the MAJORITY of people. Look at their elections. And germany, currently, seems to be among the most left-governed countries among the west, and let alone any other comparative (and competiting - against us, too) area. Given our actual government, that's just sad...

This logic does not help. Have you called your representative today?

Individuals are never the problem. Because it makes individuals feel bad and causes them to point fingers elsewhere. Are there more corporations than individuals? Devil's advocate.

Its not an either or. We can collectively pollute a lot and corporations can also pollute a lot (not to mention we also are the ones consuming said corporations products). I mean the household waste in the us is 300 million tons. This rivals multiple companies. If people individually threw out 10% less that'd be a massive improvement and that's all collective impact of individuals As for straws, There are up to an estimated 8.3 billion straws in the worlds coastlines and plastic straws make up 4 precent of all plastic waste by volume. And if we can't even manage to phase out a largely unnecessary plastic item fron our lives how exactly do people expect to see an even larger lifestyle change necessarily to combat plastic waste? Not to mention any decrease is a net good. Ultimately any variation "oh corporations polute more" is counterproductive as it leads to individuals feeling absolved of personal responsibility and making no improvements

How many plastic straw cause the same amount of pollution as one private jet ride? I bet it's a lot more than this.

So companies putting the blame on individuals sucks but we should also think about what regulations would look like. Like as a consumer you no longer have an option for single use utensils, single use bags at the store, or plastic water bottles. It makes companies responsible so that the consumers don't have to spend energy thinking about it. Lots of people who live more environmentally friendly are living in the way they want regulations to look like in the future, like no more shampoo in plastic bottles. Also tip if visiting the state of Hawaii remember to pack a reusable shopping bag, reusable water bottle and reusable straw if you don't like paper straws.

We as individuals are well aware of this, but corporations will probably never be told. If they were told, they wouldn't care. If they cared, they wouldn't do anything. If they did anything, it would be to make themselves more money. Corporations = greed.

But you have a mouth and lips - who 'needs' a fricking straw??? Both types are redundant.

Using consumer power is a tactic to curb consuming and using harmful products because our regulations aren't strict enough to force compliance in manufacturing and what not. Also, since the world is split up into countries with their own regulatory powers they can decide what is accepted practices regarding environmental toxins. If only we as a species could realize that everything is connected therefore one governing body that can place regulations on these industries all over the world might be able to actually make a difference. So it is not individuals that are the problem but we can help navigate and implement a solution. If you think a small group of concerned individuals cannot create change you are wrong. It is the only thing that ever has. It starts with us demanding change and living a way that can bring it about. *steps off soapbox*

It's not just that. The US is nowhere near the worst when it comes to pollution. If our politicians ACTUALLY cared about the environment they'd be on China and India about it. The whole climate scare is just a power grab by Democrats. (Not a fan of either party btw)

Ok, ill give you that point. I guess Boba isn't that much fun either.

Your health will improve if you skip the milkshakes and slushies.