"**Plastic straws are just not a big deal in the scale of the world’s plastic pollution**. Especially in rich countries, the odds that your plastic straws will end up in the ocean are pretty small. **Even if they’re not recycled, they’re probably being sent to landfill**. We don’t know exactly how many plastic straws end up in the ocean, but they’re probably around 0.02% of ocean plastics. If we want to get strict on single-use plastic straws, fine. But **it can’t be a government’s leading policy for tackling plastic pollution**. Some people with disabilities do need a straw, and banning them would have a significant impact. Most of us don’t need a straw, but know that it’s not a big deal, and you don’t need to feel guilty about using one on special occasions. **My one request is that we quickly move past the paper straw phase.** ([Location 4018](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C3X6X695&location=4018))" --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[counter-intuitive-thinking]], [[public-policy]], [[climate-change]], [[pollution]], [[plastics]], **Source** -- [[260103133118 - B - Not the End of the World]]