The average adult uses 130 single-use plastic straws every year. With an estimated 8.5 billion thrown away in the UK. Due to the type of plastic they are made from, they can take hundreds of years to break down into smaller plastic particles.
Plastic straws are one of the easiest single-use items to avoid. Simply say no and avoid using a straw altogether. If you don’t need one, why not go straw-less?
There are now a wide variety of either metal, hard plastic, or bamboo straws on the market, which are great options if you still want to use a straw. Many of these come with cleaners, so they’re easy to wash up and reuse over and over again.
If you enjoy using a straw when you’re out, why not opt for a collapsible one? You can even get some which attach to a key chain for extra convenience. This is a great way to ensure you don’t get caught short when you’re out and about.
Join us either as an individual or household and sign the Essex Plastic Pledge. You will receive a monthly e-newsletter packed full of hints and tips and be entered into prize draws to win items that will help you reduce your plastics.
Sign the Essex Plastic Pledge for residents here.
If you're a school in Essex, you can sign the the Essex Plastic Pledge for your school. You will then receive a bi-monthly newsletter full of inspiration from other local schools on how to reduce plastic waste as well as access to an online resource pack full of activities and tools to help your school succeed in reducing plastic waste.
Sign the Essex Plastic Pledge for schools here.
If you're an organisation in Essex, such as a business, college, university or community group you can sign the Essex Plastic Pledge as an organisation. You will receive a bi-monthly newsletter full of inspiration from other local organisation sharing their experiences and success stories on reducing plastic waste, as well as access to an online resource pack to help you on the journey to reduce plastic waste.
Sign the Essex Plastic Pledge for organisations here.
Ideas to help reduce your plastic
Tips to improve your recycling
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