Challenge checklist
- Ask for no straw – if you ask you shall not receive!
- Carry a reusable straw – bamboo, paper, metal, there's plenty of choice
- Ask your local cafe, bar or restaurant to go plastic-straw free (and let us know if you’re successful!)
- Get your friends, relatives, school or workplace to join in – when we work together everything is possible
- #holdthestraw – sharing is caring
Say NO thanks to plastic straws
#holdthestraw
The issue
Used for minutes, lasts for centuries - the humble plastic straw has become a scourge on our environment. We’ve all seen that video of the plastic straw stuck in a sea turtle’s nose or the plastic island in the middle of the ocean. Well not only do plastic straws directly impact marine life, their production releases billions of kgs of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. This fuels climate change, the Reef’s biggest threat - so let’s ditch them forever.
The big picture
In the USA alone, 500 million plastic straws are consumed daily, releasing over 219 billion kgs of CO2 into the atmosphere every year - and that’s just one country.
Plastics: the Reef triple-threat
- Marine pollution: marine life is killed by entanglement or ingesting plastic pieces
- Climate change: its energy intensive production generates climate-warming emissions
- Disease: coral-destroying diseases embedded in plastic are carried across the ocean
Our impact
While ditching the straw in your daily smoothie might not seem like much, imagine the collective impact of thousands of Citizens uniting across the planet! The momentum is building and businesses around the world are already committing to a straw-free future, including over 50 boat operators in the Great Barrier Reef! Let’s send a clear message to decision makers - join the plastic revolution or get left behind.
Spread the word
We would love to see what you’re doing, so don’t forget to #citizensGBR and #uniteforthereef alongside the snaps of your cool new paper sipping device! Posting about your efforts isn't bragging – you’re helping to grow our community and champion positive impact for the Reef.