By 2050 it's estimated plastic in the seas will outnumber the number of fish.
On this World Environment Day several groups are trying to highlight the dangers of plastic straws to marine wildlife.
New York City is one place that's lobbying to ban the single-use straw, which is leading companies to get creative and offer non-plastic straw varieties.
Nick Harper reports from New York.
IN: "Trying...."
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2:53
AIR: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-air.mp3
ARN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-arn.mp3
FM4: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-fm4.mp3
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-gen.mp3
ICRT: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-icrt.mp3
NIGERIA: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-von.mp3
938LIVE: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-938.mp3
RNZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-rnz.mp3
VATICAN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-vat.mp3
ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-ziz.mp3
SABC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-sabc.mp3
TAKE VO
Trying to change consumer habits one sip at a time.
Michael Chernow the owner of Seamore's Restaurant in New York City has replaced plastic straws with paper ones.
SOT - Michael Chernow, Seamore's Restaurant
"If you can use paper why would you use plastic."
TAKE VO
The straws may get soggy but the restaurant prefers to offer customers several biodegradable ones rather than the 750 single-use plastic straws it gets through every day.
SOT - Michael Chernow, Seamore's Restaurant
"We know as a small little company here all we're doing is making a small little scratch but the more people that make a scratch the bigger that dent will be. And so if by making those decisions we influence just one person we've done a good job."
TAKE VO
Industry-wide though there's resistance to pushing out plastic.
McDonalds shareholders recently voted against researching the risks of straws. Globally the company uses an estimated 95 million daily.
The costs associated with change may dissuade companies. But some experts say sustainability can be a strong selling point to attract the disposable income demographic.
Here's Chief Economist at Phoenix Group Max Wolff.
SOT - Max Wolff, Chief Economist, Phoenix Group
"The most coveted consumers - young, higher income consumers - are pretty interested in environmental stewardship and much more than their parents. They have shown some real interest in trying to basically partner and be clients and fans of companies that show some purpose above and beyond immediate profitability."
TAKE VO
Spotting a business opportunity that doubles as a environment-saving initiative, some manufactures are selling re-usable glass or steel and silicon straws.
TAKE VO
But environmentalists warn change is coming too slowly. In America alone 500 million plastic straws get used every day and then thrown away.
TAKE VO
A turtle attracted international attention a few years ago when scientists found a ten-centimeter straw lodged in its nose.
TAKE VO
The Wildlife Conservation Society is now spearheading a campaign to keep the waters clean by eliminating plastic straws. Here's John Calvelli from the Wildlife Conservation Society
SOT - John Calvelli, Wildlife Conservation Society
"Plastic is becoming almost an invasive species in our waters around the planet. And unfortunately mammals, marine life will eat the plastic thinking it's food. And therefore any time that there is a meeting between sea life and plastic, usually the saline loses."
TAKE VO
A dramatic change is unlikely without buy-in from industry giants.
But companies that are making plastic a pariah hope their actions will turn everyone into waste-conscious consumers.
SOC
END
On this World Environment Day several groups are trying to highlight the dangers of plastic straws to marine wildlife.
New York City is one place that's lobbying to ban the single-use straw, which is leading companies to get creative and offer non-plastic straw varieties.
Nick Harper reports from New York.
IN: "Trying...."
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2:53
AIR: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-air.mp3
ARN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-arn.mp3
FM4: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-fm4.mp3
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-gen.mp3
ICRT: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-icrt.mp3
NIGERIA: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-von.mp3
938LIVE: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-938.mp3
RNZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-rnz.mp3
VATICAN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-vat.mp3
ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-ziz.mp3
SABC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0604straws-nh-sabc.mp3
TAKE VO
Trying to change consumer habits one sip at a time.
Michael Chernow the owner of Seamore's Restaurant in New York City has replaced plastic straws with paper ones.
SOT - Michael Chernow, Seamore's Restaurant
"If you can use paper why would you use plastic."
TAKE VO
The straws may get soggy but the restaurant prefers to offer customers several biodegradable ones rather than the 750 single-use plastic straws it gets through every day.
SOT - Michael Chernow, Seamore's Restaurant
"We know as a small little company here all we're doing is making a small little scratch but the more people that make a scratch the bigger that dent will be. And so if by making those decisions we influence just one person we've done a good job."
TAKE VO
Industry-wide though there's resistance to pushing out plastic.
McDonalds shareholders recently voted against researching the risks of straws. Globally the company uses an estimated 95 million daily.
The costs associated with change may dissuade companies. But some experts say sustainability can be a strong selling point to attract the disposable income demographic.
Here's Chief Economist at Phoenix Group Max Wolff.
SOT - Max Wolff, Chief Economist, Phoenix Group
"The most coveted consumers - young, higher income consumers - are pretty interested in environmental stewardship and much more than their parents. They have shown some real interest in trying to basically partner and be clients and fans of companies that show some purpose above and beyond immediate profitability."
TAKE VO
Spotting a business opportunity that doubles as a environment-saving initiative, some manufactures are selling re-usable glass or steel and silicon straws.
TAKE VO
But environmentalists warn change is coming too slowly. In America alone 500 million plastic straws get used every day and then thrown away.
TAKE VO
A turtle attracted international attention a few years ago when scientists found a ten-centimeter straw lodged in its nose.
TAKE VO
The Wildlife Conservation Society is now spearheading a campaign to keep the waters clean by eliminating plastic straws. Here's John Calvelli from the Wildlife Conservation Society
SOT - John Calvelli, Wildlife Conservation Society
"Plastic is becoming almost an invasive species in our waters around the planet. And unfortunately mammals, marine life will eat the plastic thinking it's food. And therefore any time that there is a meeting between sea life and plastic, usually the saline loses."
TAKE VO
A dramatic change is unlikely without buy-in from industry giants.
But companies that are making plastic a pariah hope their actions will turn everyone into waste-conscious consumers.
SOC
END