A major problem in today’s world is our plastic usage. Plastic never biodegrades. This means that it will stay forever. It also makes 100-500 million pounds of carbon emissions. Plastic straws are one of the biggest ways that we use plastic. We use more than 500 million straws every single day in the U.S. alone!

Fast food stores are the main source of straw. For example, McDonalds contributes to 12% of all the plastic straws. I had an idea that if McDonald’s would only use biodegradable, it would cut down on a lot of that plastic trash. Other chains will follow the lead and one by one we can convert all plastic straw to biodegradable straw. 

Plastic straws hurt the environment and wildlife. Straws just pile up in landfills and in the oceans. There are places where you can actually walk on the ocean because of the enormous amount of plastic piled up. It also hurts wildlife. Birds can think that plastic straws look like worms. Turtles can think that straws look like stretched out shrimp. When they eat them, they die from the toxins in the oil that the straws were made from. It also hurts underprivileged kids who don't have proper housing. They can wander about on shores, but all the plastic can make them sick.

Why do we do this? We are ruining the planet!!! Think about your own kids and grandchildren. Is this the type of planet that you want to leave for them! Do you want children to worry about eating seafood because of the amount of plastic trash in our fish? Do you want us to not be able to go to the beach because of the amount of trash? Why are you leaving us children a planet of plastic and trash???

There is a solution though. If McDonald's and other franchises stopped using plastic straws, a lot of plastic trash would be avoided. If people still need straws, they can get biodegradable straws. The biodegradable straws would biodegrade and wouldn't hurt the environment. So join me! Join in saving the world for your children! Please sign the petition, and support the idea that McDonald's should get only biodegradable straws!!