Plastic straws are making their way into the ocean, potentially harming marine wildlife such as turtles. With so many plastic straws being handed out in cafes and businesses, this plastic waste is not recyclable and goes to landfill - if they aren't littered. Then they make their way to Newcastle's beaches, and the ocean, polluting plastic and after time the chemicals within them (such as the endocrine disrupting BPA). This litter is particularly abundant around cafes and fast food restaurants as well as schools from canteens with plastic straws - using plastic over paper for slushies etc. has resulted in large amounts of needless plastic waste. The lives of marine life can be saved by making the simple switch to paper straws or reysable straws over plastic. You can help support the environment by limiting plastic straw use and approaching your council to stop plastoc straws.