Models fight against the plastic cata-straw-phy
You don't have to be a model to know that straws suck.
At the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, they know that straws suck – and not just literally.
Ever wondered about what goes into making drinking straws and what happens to them after they’re thrown away?
According to the Aquarium, more than one billion single-use plastic straws are thrown out daily. This is extremely harmful to the environment since straws do not biodegrade – even after hundreds of years in the sun, they just break up into small pieces. It’s plastic, and plastic lasts forever.
The not-so-innocent drinking straw is thus damaging ecosystems, killing wildlife and contributing to the pollution of our atmosphere. The devastating result is inevitable as the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) foresees more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050.
This is why the Miss Elite SA 2019 finalists decided to act on the rapid use of plastic straws in their community. On Sunday, 2 December this group of environmental enthusiasts launched a peaceful protest at Valley View Shopping Centre in an effort to create awareness of the issue.
The enthusiasts, who are also Vogue Catwalk West Rand models between the ages of five and 23, called the protest ‘Elite goes Environmental’. As part of the campaign, they distributed paper straws among shoppers who visited the centre on the day.
Every month each finalist is required to take on a challenge that will form part of their portfolio. However, the West Rand finalists decided to join hands in this campaign in an effort to make a bigger impact.
Some of the finalists have been doing charitable work in their free time for years, like helping out at Tjokkertjies vir Jesus and both the Tower of Life Men’s and Women’s Shelter.
If you are not ready to give up your plastic straw, but love a good smoothie, there are alternatives that you can keep in your kitchen, car or handbag. They include paper straws, glass straws, bamboo straws and stainless steel straws. It is up to all of us to help stop the sucking.
Here is all the motivation you need to kick plastic straws to the curb:
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at krugersdorpnews@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
