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Straws?

crash3x

By crash3x,
in Celebrity Cruises

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Charles4515

Charles4515

Posted
Posted (edited)

I don't really see why some are so stirred up by the composition of their straws. When I was growing up the straws were paper. I used what they gave out. They would even come wrapped in paper for I guess sanitary reasons. The plastic ones, who knows who touched. On a cruise ship if I need a straw I will use what they give out. The cruise lines can provision their ships how they please for whatever reason. I don't see any advantage to plastic straws for me.  I won't bring my own straws because I am not going to pack or carry around straws. It would be inconvenient, I don't walk around the ship with a bag but if you need plastic for some emotional reason, that seems to be the only reason for the drama,  go ahead and bring your own. 

Edited by Charles4515
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Bo1953

Bo1953

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Charles4515 said:

 


Your friends are probably used to your idiosyncrasies. I have an eccentric friend who won’t take silverware that is already set out on the table. We just roll our eyes.

LOL, I have a few who must thoroughly wipe down their silverware before eating and request fresh napkins before eating too... I can only smile at this after 20+ years of seeing this..

 

bon appetite and bon voyage

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ipeeinthepool

ipeeinthepool

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 


Your friends are probably used to your idiosyncrasies. I have an eccentric friend who won’t take silverware that is already set out on the table. We just roll our eyes.

 

 

Could be, but I know they'll appreciate the plastic straws.  They are individually wrapped to satisfy anyone like your friend.

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suec12

suec12

Posted
Posted

Well just to stir things up a bit.....on a recent TA I was at one of the lectures where maybe the captain? announced that X was no longer using / distributing plastic straws. Yes! the audience gave a round of applause. What I find a bit disingenuous is this "virtue signaling" by cruise ship passengers. Let's be honest - cruise ships are not really environmentally friendly. I would think that if a person was deeply concerned about environmental impact, they would not be cruising? I saw this on an Alaskan itinerary too - not the straw issue but at one of the talks concerning ecological impact in that region. There are soooo many ships in the part of the world now - we saw very little wildlife - I think all the creatures that can have fled inland! and the whales gone further out to sea.

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Charles4515

Charles4515

Posted
Posted
Well just to stir things up a bit.....on a recent TA I was at one of the lectures where maybe the captain? announced that X was no longer using / distributing plastic straws. Yes! the audience gave a round of applause. What I find a bit disingenuous is this "virtue signaling" by cruise ship passengers. Let's be honest - cruise ships are not really environmentally friendly. I would think that if a person was deeply concerned about environmental impact, they would not be cruising? I saw this on an Alaskan itinerary too - not the straw issue but at one of the talks concerning ecological impact in that region. There are soooo many ships in the part of the world now - we saw very little wildlife - I think all the creatures that can have fled inland! and the whales gone further out to sea.

 

I agree that cruise ships are not in essence environmentally friendly, but then you use an Alaska itinerary as an example of not seeing wildlife. Maybe it was time of year but on my Alaska cruise from the ship I saw a lot of whales. Also bears, a lot of seals, eagles etc. Yes, I did need my binoculars to see a lot of it but I don’t think the presence of ships had an effect.

 

I am not sure of the motivations of the cruise lines in eliminating plastic straws. I can relate to cynicism about their motivations but why would I demand or bring plastic straws? I would be cynical about the motivations of those stirring the pot about cruise lines switching from plastic straws to other material straws.

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mek

mek

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Posted (edited)

Eight million tons of plastic flow into the ocean every year, and straws comprise just0.025 percent of that. 

 

So this is where I have a problem with the straw ban.  I'm all for cleaning up the environment, but I personally feel this is a just one of those feel good actions that have very little impact on anything.  Instead of automatically giving a plastic straw with a drink, why not let people ask for one?  Many restaurants in our area are doing that.  Personally, I think that would reduce waste considerably. So many other things are more harmful than straws.

 

The problem I have with paper straws is a few years down the road we'll be on the "save the trees" campaign because too many trees are being killed to produce paper straws and the factories producing them are polluting the atmosphere.

 

 

Edited by mek
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mayleeman

mayleeman

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, mek said:

Eight million tons of plastic flow into the ocean every year, and straws comprise just0.025 percent of that.

 

Let's use your stats. That means 4 million pounds of straws into the oceans each year. None of which decomposes. Sound like nothing to you?

 

.025 × .01 × 8,000,000 × 2,000 = 4,000,000 pounds

 

Where did you get this stat, anyway? Probably an overestimate. I think in your zeal to minimize the problem you, well, were grasping at straws.

 

Thanks for your support of the "save the environment" campaign!

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mek

mek

Posted
Posted (edited)
20 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

 

Let's use your stats. That means 4 million pounds of straws into the oceans each year. None of which decomposes. Sound like nothing to you?

 

.025 × .01 × 8,000,000 × 2,000 = 4,000,000 pounds

 

Where did you get this stat, anyway? Probably an overestimate. I think in your zeal to minimize the problem you, well, were grasping at straws.

 

Thanks for your support of the "save the environment" campaign!

I googled it and several sites supported that number.  I know, don't believe everything you read on the internet, but I feel this information is fairly accurate.

 

Percentages are percentages - it is a very small contributor to plastic pollution.   The math is way beyond my pay grade, but I'm sure someone smarter than I can figure out how much that pollutes the surface of the oceans and all of the shorelines of the world.

 

I still think a better solution would be to just let people ask for a plastic straws and not automatically give them out.  And BTW, I grew up in a generation without plastic, so don't assume I couldn't give it up,  but just make sure the alternatives really do address all environmental issues.  Methinks they probably don't.  Solve one problem, create another.

 

 

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rvmike

rvmike

Posted
Posted (edited)

What is amazing is when people on aft balcony’s complain about sut so bad they can’t use it. Where are all the straw people defending ocean life, it it lands on a balcony it’s guaranteed to land on the surface of the ocean. Or maybe the straw people are on those aft balcony's. Sounds like another inconvienient truth.

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MizDemeanor

MizDemeanor

Posted
Posted

  • Why straws?

    Based on the amount of media attention plastic straws are getting, it may be surprising to hear  they are not the leading type of plastic waste. That record goes to food wrappers and containers, which account for about 31 percent of all plastic pollution. They are followed by plastic bottle and container caps at 15.5 percent, plastic bags at 11.2 percent, and then finally plastic straws and stirrers at 8.1 percent. 

    The main reason cited for eliminating plastic straws is their negative impact on our oceans and marine wildlife. Plastic in the ocean is a huge problem — look no further than trash island, or the viral  video of a turtle suffering as a result of ocean pollution, to understand that. But of all the plastic that ends up in the ocean, straws make up only four percent of that waste. 

    So why are straws a big target? The problem is their size. They are small and inconspicuous. So much so that people often forget they are plastic and do not recycle them. 

    Straws that do get recycled often don’t make it through the mechanical recycling sorter because they are so small and lightweight. So they contaminate recycling loads or get disposed of as garbage. 

    It is estimated that the average person uses 1.6 straws per day. That means that if 25,000 people stop using straws, we would eliminate 5,000,000 straws and prevent them from entering oceans and harming wildlife. 

    So, knowing that most straws, recycled or not, are likely to end up in our oceans, and knowing the amount of straws being used every day, individuals cutting back on use can make a difference.


     
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rvmike

rvmike

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Yes, Tesla Model S and I recycle my cans and water bottles. You?  I also starting riding a bike 2 miles a day last year and hitting the gym 5times a week and got ride of my Type II diabetes. Your responses are no longer about straws so I think you lost this one! Bye Next you will blame me that my Tesla batteries won’t be recycled. The old saying goes don’t argue with an idiot because you look worse.

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mayleeman

mayleeman

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, rvmike said:

Yes, Tesla Model S and I recycle my cans and water bottles. You?  I also starting riding a bike 2 miles a day last year and hitting the gym 5times a week and got ride of my Type II diabetes. Your responses are no longer about straws so I think you lost this one! Bye Next you will blame me that my Tesla batteries won’t be recycled. The old saying goes don’t argue with an idiot because you look worse.

Pot, meet kettle.

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Sascol

Sascol

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, mek said:

Eight million tons of plastic flow into the ocean every year, and straws comprise just0.025 percent of that. 

 

So this is where I have a problem with the straw ban. 

 

 

Again - the issue is not straws ending up in the ocean - it is the plastic used to make straws taking up unnecessary space in landfills.

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ipeeinthepool

ipeeinthepool

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Sascol said:

 

Again - the issue is not straws ending up in the ocean - it is the plastic used to make straws taking up unnecessary space in landfills.

 Again, your correct.  The issue isn't about straws.  The issue is about controlling the choice of others for no real benefit.

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