Do plastic straws really make a difference?

As communities act to ban single-use plastics and individual consumers raise concerns, bigger actors pay attention © Shutterstock

Shuddering and unable to breathe, he vomited up five plastic bags. The small pilot whale, found in a Thai canal this past June, is another symptom of a crisis in the world's oceans. Plastic waste, mostly broken down into tiny particles, floats in huge blobs amid ocean current patterns called gyres that cover as much as 40 percent of Earth's ocean surface. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws.

In California, a bill to ban straws unless requested at dine-in restaurants is awaiting a signature from the governor. Other states such as Hawaii, cities such as Seattle and New York, and corporations such as Amazon and Starbucks are also considering or have initiated plastic phase-out plans.

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