Plastic Straws, Which RCL Ships Have Done Away With

[poncho1973]

Something like 90% of the garbage in the oceans comes from Asia. In a lot of places there they just throw their garbage into the ocean and that includes plastic straws. US Companies using paper straws isn't going to change that. Most plastic straws (and many other plastic items that make up a larger percentage of garbage than straws do) from the US and cruiselines never end up in the ocean.

 

The old "it is someone else doing most of it, so why should we bother" argument!

[boscobeans]

As a home brewer for more than 30 years I am aware of the need to keep things SAFE. Preparing bottles, fermenters, aging, priming and bottling equipment does NOT mean it has to be cleaned. It means it MUST also be sanitized. Every step from the boil requires that the equipment must be very carefully sanitized using acid based or iodine based sanitizing agents.

 

Sure you can clean a straw with soap and water but is it clean enough to be used over and over?

 

We all seem to be obsessed with NORO and how is the best way to prevent it. How long to wash our hands, what hand sanitizer is best and don't touch salt and pepper shakers????

 

So now we add a device, a straw, that comes in contact with our mouths and hands to consume everything from sweet sticky cocktails to milk products. Sure we use the ships dishes and flatware and it's reused over and over. It also gets washed with water at about 170 degrees or lower if sanitizers are used in the process..

 

I don't really give a tinker's dam because I rarely need a straw for my beer or gin and tonic, but my wife will sure as heck have a few nice new paper wrapped plastic straws packed for her occasional frozen cocktails. If the uproar continues we my even bring the used ones home with us and put them in with all the other non-recyclable plastics like margarine, ricotta and other dairy product packaging.

 

bosco

[lenquixote66]

What did people do before straws ? Just ask yourself that question . I cannot recall the last time I used a straw.

[Iamcruzin]

Are y'all really arguing "This doesn't go far enough, so we shouldn't even try"? Get out of here with that crap, by making these little changes we become more aware of the impact of our actions. Yes, today it's straws, but hopefully next year it's shrink wrap and blister packages.

As true as this statement is, If there was really a sincere concern about changing the environment it would be much easier and more accepted to go back to packaging dairy products in cardboard containers as a start. They are already doing it with some products as I mentioned previously so it wouldn't be a big conversion. The local deli's where I live still use styrofoam containers to pack sandwiches. I ask for mine to be wrapped in paper. They will do it but I guess it's quicker to dump it in a styrofoam container. Banning one plastic product and replacing it with another plastic product is counter productive. Someone gave an example of the juice box that comes in a cardboard container and a plastic straw. Most likely they will have to replace that with a plastic container.

[time4u2go]

Are y'all really arguing "This doesn't go far enough, so we shouldn't even try"? Get out of here with that crap, by making these little changes we become more aware of the impact of our actions. Yes, today it's straws, but hopefully next year it's shrink wrap and blister packages.

Agreed. It's better to start small. People are more likely to accept the change, paving the way for bigger changes later on.

[MalteseMama2]

I gave up straws when I learned sucking on one can give you wrinkles around your mouth just like sucking on a cigarette- of course cigarettes do a lot more damage to your skin and body (trying to protect myself from being flamed! )[emoji6].

So, I gave up plastic straws for a totally selfish reason!

 

 

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[Iamcruzin]

What did people do before straws ? Just ask yourself that question . I cannot recall the last time I used a straw.

Your post prompted me to seek out the history of straws and apparently they have been around in some shape and form for 5000yrs. Personally other than a milk shake that I order far and few between I could live without them. The only thing that this ban on straws is going to accomplish is a rise in sales as people who wouldn't normally drink from a straw start to purchase and hoard them. Look at the people on this board who are willing to pack straws.

 

While plastic straws are a recent invention, humans have been using hollow, cylindrical tubes to bring liquid to their lips for centuries. Ancient Sumerians, one of the first societies known to brew beer—5,000 years ago—submerged long, thin tubes made from precious metals into large jars to reach the liquid sitting below fermentation byproducts.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

The environmental officer aboard Mariner said their biggest problem in recycling is the limes in Corona bottles. No mention of straws.

 

This was in April

 

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I'm guilty. Most of us are. We've been doing it all wrong.

 

"You put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up."

[lbjen]

Are y'all really arguing "This doesn't go far enough, so we shouldn't even try"? Get out of here with that crap, by making these little changes we become more aware of the impact of our actions. Yes, today it's straws, but hopefully next year it's shrink wrap and blister packages.

 

Thank you. It’s so frustrating that so many people think you shouldn’t even try unless you can cure the entire world’s problems. Is that what we’re teaching our kids?

[RocketMan275]

This is just some stupid feel-good campaign being pushed by idiots, participated in by idiots, that will accomplish little to nothing in the end except waste everyone's time and energy, making them believe they're actually doing something to help a real problem.

Actually, this campaign is being pushed by some very clever people with the objective of increasing donations to their fake causes. Nothing like a good scare campaign to get people to donate to environmental causes.

[time4u2go]

Actually, this campaign is being pushed by some very clever people with the objective of increasing donations to their fake causes. Nothing like a good scare campaign to get people to donate to environmental causes.

I'm curious...how do you know this?

[besberry]

To get back to the OP's question. There are paper straws on Symphony. They were actually almost cardboard. Didn't taste and didn't disintegrate, at least not in my drinks!

[RocketMan275]

I'm curious...how do you know this?

 

You do realize this movement is built upon a science project by a fourth grader?

 

The environmentalist movement has a long track record of hyping events to increase their donations.

 

Sierra Club officer Bruce Hamilton once admitted: “It’s what works. It builds the Sierra Club. The fate of the Earth depends on whether people open that envelope and send in that check” (or click on the ever-present online Donate Now button).

[time4u2go]

You do realize this movement is built upon a science project by a fourth grader?

 

The environmentalist movement has a long track record of hyping events to increase their donations.

 

Sierra Club officer Bruce Hamilton once admitted: “It’s what works. It builds the Sierra Club. The fate of the Earth depends on whether people open that envelope and send in that check” (or click on the ever-present online Donate Now button).

The fact that the movement was built upon a science project by a fourth grader does not make it a "fake cause".

 

I would bet that most organizations that are funded through donations hype events to increase their donations. I don't believe that makes them "fake causes".

[Wine-O]

You do realize this movement is built upon a science project by a fourth grader?

 

The environmentalist movement has a long track record of hyping events to increase their donations.

 

Sierra Club officer Bruce Hamilton once admitted: “It’s what works. It builds the Sierra Club. The fate of the Earth depends on whether people open that envelope and send in that check” (or click on the ever-present online Donate Now button).

 

Similar to the global warming hoax -- just follow the money.

[RocketMan275]

The fact that the movement was built upon a science project by a fourth grader does not make it a "fake cause".

 

I would bet that most organizations that are funded through donations hype events to increase their donations. I don't believe that makes them "fake causes".

 

Certainly so, but do those 'hyped events' justify making changes like banning plastic straws? This is in no way limited to 'banning plastic straws'.

 

There are movements to ban plastic bags, plastic plates and utensils. Certain groups will not rest content until most plastic is eliminated. It comes from oil don't you know.

[time4u2go]

Certainly so, but do those 'hyped events' justify making changes like banning plastic straws? This is in no way limited to 'banning plastic straws'.

 

There are movements to ban plastic bags, plastic plates and utensils. Certain groups will not rest content until most plastic is eliminated. It comes from oil don't you know.

Sounds like a good idea to me!

[KnightsFan]

I think we are arguing that it is ignorant, stupid, feel good, and "much ado about nothing." Maybe liberals should take their message to Asia and Africa where over 90% of the plastics pollution is taking place.

 

So we should ignore the other 10% because it means you have to change?

[JAMESCC]

So we should ignore the other 10% because it means you have to change?

 

 

I haven't been following this thread but let me guess the nuts on here think its tyranny because RCI, a private corporation is doing away with plastic straws to save the oceans just a little abuse? Am I correct?

[time4u2go]

I haven't been following this thread but let me guess the nuts on here think its tyranny because RCI, a private corporation is doing away with plastic straws to save the oceans just a little abuse? Am I correct?

No.

[nelblu]

Agreed. It's better to start small. People are more likely to accept the change, paving the way for bigger changes later on.

 

 

I wonder when the plastic water bottles will be banned. We'll have to go back to glass bottles. Unless some genius comes up with paper bottles.

[JAMESCC]

No.

 

 

Yeah I just read through the pages, I am correct. Blah, blah who cares about the environment is the basics of this thread. Even though a whale died a few weeks ago from swallowing plastic. Its all a lie to get donations I see in most posts.

[KnightsFan]

I haven't been following this thread but let me guess the nuts on here think its tyranny because RCI, a private corporation is doing away with plastic straws to save the oceans just a little abuse? Am I correct?

 

Nah, they think it's a waste of time and/or fake because they haven't seen plastic in the ocean.

 

Basically a bunch of selfish folks who care more about their comfort than their children and grandchildren and great granddchildren having a clean planet to live on.

[JAMESCC]

Nah, they think it's a waste of time and/or fake because they haven't seen plastic in the ocean.

 

Basically a bunch of selfish folks who care more about their comfort than their children and grandchildren and great granddchildren having a clean planet to live on.

 

Yeah I agree, its not tyranny but the end of the world because RCI wants to help the oceans, oh the horror. A whole died a few weeks ago because it plastic in its stomach. Many pounds of plastic. I don't use straws of any kind because I hate them. I'd rather drink from the actual cup.

[boscobeans]

Yeah I just read through the pages, I am correct. Blah, blah who cares about the environment is the basics of this thread. Even though a whale died a few weeks ago from swallowing plastic. Its all a lie to get donations I see in most posts.

 

 

Yes, after eating 80 plastic bags, probably filled with Thai food trash, like fish parts, in a filthy canal in Thailand.. I personally would love to see plastic shopping bags banned. They are to me a PIA and I see no benefit they offer compared to paper bags. If anything is going to take to the skies (migrate as some are claiming) plastic bags would win any long distance race over a straw.

 

No doubt plastic in the oceans is a bad thing but banning straws isn't a cure or even a band aid to the ocean's ecological disaster that is mostly of Asian origin.

 

bosco