Last Straw for Environmentalists: Federal Plastic Policy Takes Shocking Turn

President Trump has rolled back previous restrictions on single-use plastics in government use via his executive order. Paper straws would no longer be bought by the federal government; instead, back to plastic straws. This has raised alarms from environment-defending groups who are warning against the catastrophic effects of ocean pollution against marine life. On a yearly basis, about 380 million tons of plastic waste is generated by the human race, and over 8 billion plastic straws litter coastlines all over the globe. Even though plastic straws make up only a small percentage of ocean waste, they are viewed as a powerful symbol of the larger plastic crisis and virtually all its entire environmental footprint. Source: dw.com