Plastic Straws and What to DO

The global warming clock says we have 15 years left before we reach a temperature point of no return. Will I be alive by the time I’d be 40? I want to grow up and live a full life. I want a career, a husband, and kids of my own. Will our planet continue to be viable by then? Am I ever going to get the future I want? Oh god, I need to do something. What could I possibly do to prevent the death of my home?

 

Looking back now, Action has always been my go-to weapon. I despise feeling helpless. Author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel once said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” His words have become my mantra as I continue to address the indifference we as a human race are posing on Earth: Pollution. More specifically, plastic pollution.

 

While plastic in general is an important predicament in the race to save Earth, most of it can be and is being recycled. However, It’s a specific use given to plastic that appears to be causing trouble. Plastic straws. I remember the first time I heard about the ban on plastic straws, and how absurd it sounded at the time. Plastic straws? Couldn’t they simply be recycled? Evidently, no. Recycling facilities don’t take them because their small size is a risk to the function of the big machines, as they often fall into the cracks. As I had predicted, the number of plastic straws produced and distributed barely decreased after the straw ban. They’re too practical to get rid of so hastily. This was not enough for me. If my planet, my home was dying, then something had to be done. 

For a long time, I continued to ask myself how I can reuse, and possibly, improve the use of these dilapidated pieces of plastic. It wasn’t until my father suggested I teach myself some basic programming to build robots, such as an RC car that the idea seemed to be right there, screaming right in my face. Yes, learning how to program was a great idea, but using that programming to think outside of the box became the goal. I wanted, no, needed to find a way to help this worldwide dilemma; my desire for Action had to be fulfilled. While a single plastic straw may seem insignificant, it’s the billions of straws that truly impact the environment. Using some of my creativity, I decided I was going to build a remote control car made out of plastic straws.

After extensive research, I learned everything I needed to build my prototype. Due to my lack of knowledge in the field of computer programming, I commenced my project by making one with only an on-and-off switch. I melted my straws using nothing but some baking paper and a clothes iron, hot glued all of my melted pieces together and built my very first straw car. It was a start, and I hoped to eventually make the car durable and physically appealing enough for a child to play with. But this is only the beginning. 

 

Making a more durable car starts by transforming the straws into a more durable material. Straws are made out of polypropylene which warps easily. Suppose I could learn to blend polymers effectively and convert polypropylene into a stronger material. In that case, the straws’ plastic could be repurposed into infinite recycled possibilities–much like my car. Our ancestors have always wanted a better future for the following generations, and we should want the same for our descendants.