It feels good to be a part of the solution, right? That's why so many people feel good about giving up plastic straws to save the oceans. Yet, sadly, banning plastic straws aren't going to solve this problem. It's true that ocean pollution is a serious issue in desperate need of a workable solution. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, billions of pounds of trash is dumped into the ocean each year. Yet, 90 percent of that comes from Asia and Africa—not the United States. In fact, analysis by the World Economic Forum found that 10 rivers—the Yangtze, Indus, Yellow, Hai He, Fanges, Pearl, Amur, and Mekong in Asia, and the Nile and Niger in Africa are responsible for the vast majority of trash in the ocean.
Considering this data, maybe it's time to rethink straw bans and consider better, more realistic solutions instead.