The No Straw Stupidity

melphis

Living my Dream
Apr 18, 2013
3,489
1,676
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I was reading today's news (Thank You again Dolores) and this was one of todays stories:

Don’t ask for a straw
A local initiative is following the global effort to discourage the use of plastic straws. The move was started locally by the Samana Environmental Forum that is promoting online the “Mejor sin calimete” campaign (Better Without a Straw).

The campaign seeks to eliminate the use of the disposable plastic in favor of just sipping or biodegradable alternatives in paper or bamboo.

The effort now has the backing of the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Tourism and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

https://get-green-now.com/environmen...lastic-straws/


So they want to outlaw plastic straws but the hundreds of thousands of plastic water bottles, soda bottles, beer bottles, Styrofoam eating containers, plastic cutlery and the tons upon tons of other garbage that could be recycled or disposed of properly is OK.

Either these people are getting stupider by the day or I might just be getting Dominicaned out.
 

Abuela

Bronze
May 13, 2006
1,952
288
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I totally agree plastic straws surely add to the earth's pollution,however, here so many places who do not wash glasses in hot soapy water. A straw prevents hepatitis and other disease pathogens to be passed on. I have seen some places using stainless steel straws but how are those cleaned? Our zeal to help pollution may cause new health issues more life threatening. There I will get off my soapbox and go properly wash my glasses in hot soapy water.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
I totally agree plastic straws surely add to the earth's pollution,however, here so many places who do not wash glasses in hot soapy water. A straw prevents hepatitis and other disease pathogens to be passed on. I have seen some places using stainless steel straws but how are those cleaned? Our zeal to help pollution may cause new health issues more life threatening. There I will get off my soapbox and go properly wash my glasses in hot soapy water.


Paper straws abuela.
 

melphis

Living my Dream
Apr 18, 2013
3,489
1,676
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what she said. the longest journey starts with a first step.

I understand the baby step/ first step thing but this isn't even a drop in the bucket here. It just seems that its this weeks fashionable cause.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
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melphis said:
So they want to outlaw plastic straws but the hundreds of thousands of plastic water bottles, soda bottles, beer bottles, Styrofoam eating containers, plastic cutlery and the tons upon tons of other garbage that could be recycled or disposed of properly is OK.
I think it's great to see these initiatives starting to gain momentum here too. Supermercados Nacional recently announced plans to reduce use of styrofoam in its deli departments, obviously still a long way to go but a good start.

As well as the focus on straws, the fact that more and more countries are banning/reducing single-use plastics like bottles, cups, plates, cutlery and carrier bags will eventually have repercussions here.

Abuela said:
I totally agree plastic straws surely add to the earth's pollution,however, here so many places who do not wash glasses in hot soapy water. A straw prevents hepatitis and other disease pathogens to be passed on. I have seen some places using stainless steel straws but how are those cleaned? Our zeal to help pollution may cause new health issues more life threatening. There I will get off my soapbox and go properly wash my glasses in hot soapy water.
But we don't drink beer or wine with straws; they usually only come with soft drinks, water and other alcoholic drinks.

The main alternatives are paper or stainless steel/aluminium. A friend bought me a set of four stainless steel straws that you're supposed to carry around with you. The set includes a cleaning brush. I still haven't remembered to put them in my handbag. I just try and remember to ask for a drink without a straw. I make a point of commenting/asking as positively as possible to get the servers, bar/restaurant owners and fellow customers talking/thinking about it.

Same with plastic bags in the supermarket. We almost always take our reusable shopping bags and they've become a conversation piece with the packers and cashiers. It's no longer such a rarity judging by people's reactions compared to a few years ago.
 

CristoRey

Welcome To Wonderland
Apr 1, 2014
11,715
7,976
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That's one small step for Dominicans...
and one giant leap off a cliff for anyone who honestly believes
they will actually start following the rules :laugh::laugh::laugh:
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
3,479
731
113
What are straws for anyway?

I am perfectly capable to purse my lips on the rim of a glass and drink without spilling a drop.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
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Outlaw Styrofoam containers would be one first gigantic step.

Recently in Cabrera , I get aluminum foil - not styro for my food

Didn't the UK just ban straws ?

The USA is miles behind on this front,
In Ontario plastic grocery bags were discouraged - you need to buy them (5cents) - not free

Recycling is better outside the USA...

DR is not on the radar for recycling it seems

But any start is better than no start..........

UK
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/search.html

Wimbledon, MacDonalds and more
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
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A giant step in RD terms !!!

hahaha

May never happen---

Altho, I hear they are teaching things in schools now.... a great start , if true
 

Luperon

Who empowered China's crime against humanity?
Jun 28, 2004
4,510
294
83
I used to use in Panama the McDonalds straws for fishing using them as a lure, great for trawling, caught many sierra, bonito and barracuda using them!!
But yeah I do agree that they should be banned.
Panama is light years ahead of the DR

Thanks to dr1 members for great advice making our May trip to Panama GREAT.
 

Seamonkey

Bronze
Oct 6, 2009
1,896
755
113
Many of these bars/restaurants that are saying no to straws will serve you a coke from a plastic bottle and put your take out in a styrofoam container. Makes no sense...just stupidity.
 

Russell

Well-known member
Jun 17, 2017
1,056
337
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Hummm!
How to say this?
OK, I have made a living since 1970 with plastic.
I am now making a living recycling plastic (Polyethylene Terephthlate ) or, PET which in its form as a water/beverage bottle is not a single use plastic. PET is the base chemical for many single use plastics like Polyester clothing,Dacron Sails, and thousands of other plastic based products.These products using the PET base chemical are the single use plastics we are concerned about.
In Canada we recycle PET bottles into high strength low weight construction panels.
Boats , houses and the hugh Wind Generator blades are all embracing PET as the core of choice for all the right reasons.

So is this going to clean up the horrendous mess in the oceans? Not a chance!
What my associates use in Belgium and Canada as recycled products use up about .01 percent of the available PET in Europe.

RD probably has enough PET to recycle virtually any amount of housing projects ; with a product that can sustain category 5 hurricanes and R-10 earthquake... not new science; we have been doing it since 2002.

The challenge is to find investors who can see a vision of using the recycled products into roofing and building materials.

I am virtually out of the business and laying back without a plastic straw sipping on my rum punch.

It is not the scientists who have placed us in this position; it is the consumer and fast food industry.

Straws are a token beginning to catch our attention.... we should all buy into this token concept and work on the other issues and products like ''Styro-foam'' food containers.
If they are replaced with recycled cardboard pulp like we do for Tim Hortons coffee carriers in Canada there is potential for another industry in the RD.
In Barbados they make roofing tyles out of recycled PET bottles.... A country with 260,000 population can keep the waste of pop and water bottles in balance.
Trinidad and Tobago produces 250,000 tons of PET a year.... also looking for an industry.
RD has enough PET available to recycle to keep a roofing company busy for the next 100 + years.

The potential is there and we just need the desire to profit off of the right garbage.
Or we can simply bitch about it until someone does something about it then bitch because someone got rich doing it!

Sounds like human nature to me.

Yes get rid of the styro-foam ; unless someone out there can find a use for it... maybe as a filler in light weight concrete... not my field.

You all have a nice evening... I am about to pour my next Rum Punch... Ta Ta!

Russell
 

Caonabo

LIFE IS GOOD
Sep 27, 2017
7,339
2,949
113
I totally agree plastic straws surely add to the earth's pollution,however, here so many places who do not wash glasses in hot soapy water. A straw prevents hepatitis and other disease pathogens to be passed on. I have seen some places using stainless steel straws but how are those cleaned? Our zeal to help pollution may cause new health issues more life threatening. There I will get off my soapbox and go properly wash my glasses in hot soapy water.

How do you make your water hot?