To reduce single-use plastic waste in Platteville, restaurants where plastic straws are used should be required to only provide plastic straws when requested by customers.

Single-use plastics are causing a significant environmental problem.  They are not biodegradable, and can take 450 years to decompose.[1]  So much of this plastic ends up in the ocean that within a few years we may end up with a pound of plastic for every three pounds of fish![2] It’s estimated that we use over 500 million every day in America, and most of those end up in our oceans, polluting the water and killing marine life.[3] Platteville Girl Scout Cadette Troop 5273 wants to help reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in the landfills and environment around Platteville.  Restaurants that provide plastic straws to their customers should only provide plastic straws when specifically requested by customers.  Paper or other bio-degradable straw use should be encouraged.

[1] https://www.thebalancesmb.com/how-long-does-it-take-garbage-to-decompose-2878033
[2] https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/plastics-in-the-ocean/
[3] https://www.strawlessocean.org/faq