The anti-straw movement may have first picked up steam because of a viral video that started going around in 2015. A student happen to noticed something encrusted in the nose of one of the male turtles. Her team soon realise a plastic straw was stuck in its nose. They proceed to help extract it, hoping that it will relieve the turtle of the pain.
The video was re-shared multiple times, and soon enough it became the poster child of anti-plastic straw movement. However, you might question that there are so many plastic wastes in the world, why do we only targeting the plastic straws? Does ditching the plastic straws really helps?
In my opinion, this could be the first step in a much-needed larger behaviour change to the reliance of plastic. Plastic straws are easily replaceable compared to other products. Individual can get reusable ones and F&B owner can provide biodegradable ones (e.g. paper straws). Who knows, in the near future, perhaps you can consume your favourite soft drinks off paper bottle instead of plastic bottle. Only time will tell. :D