Every day in the United States, 500 million plastic straws are used. Figures that prompted the city of Seattle to ban them — a move that has also earned praise from one of the city's musical icons.
Many know it thanks to the TV series Grey's anatomy, others because it gave birth to the grunge music genre. Seattle, on the north-western coast of the United States, is also nicknamed the Emerald City — because it is rich in green spaces. And it is out of love for our planet that it is banning the use of straws, cocktail stirrers and single-use plastic utensils.
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The ban came into force on 1 July. By that date, owners of bars, restaurants and canteens had to dispose of all single-use plastic utensils: they may provide paper, steel or compostable alternatives, but only at the customer's request. Any violations will be punishable by fines of up to 250 dollars (around 215 euros).
40 per cent of plastic in the oceans comes from single-use products. "Pollution is surpassing crisis levels and I'm glad Seattle is leading the way and setting an example for the country with this decision," Mami Hara, director of Seattle Public Utilities, told Komo news.
The measure was also welcomed with enthusiasm by the environmental organisation Greenpeace, which is pushing for its application worldwide, and by the grunge band Pearl Jam: "We are proud of our city," reads a post on their Instagram profile.
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In Seattle, since 2008, most packaging and single-use utensils used in the food service industry have had to be recyclable or compostable, with the exception of straws and other everyday items. Americans use around 500 million of them a day, according to the National Park Service. Other major cities such as San Francisco and New York are considering banning their use, while the United Kingdom could become the first country in the world to do so. The European Commission has proposed a directive to abolish single-use plastics by 2030. It is clear that environmental protection is no longer the choice of a few, but the desire of many as well as a genuine necessity. Our future habits will be very different, but undoubtedly better.