The Last Plastic Straw

The Last Plastic Straw project is meaningfully shifting the way individuals and businesses think about plastic pollution—and about our society’s disposable culture—on a larger scale.

For many people, plastic straws are an entry point to understanding the broader plastic pollution crisis. Through The Last Plastic Straw, we provide tools to empower people to encourage eateries to stop using plastic straws and other single-use plastic items; educate individuals to refuse single-use plastics and spread the “plastic-free” message.

This collective engagement around the gateway issue of plastic straws is helping to build momentum around a worldwide movement, so that plastic straws, and all single-use plastic items, become relics of the past.

TAKE ACTION / RESOURCES FOR BUSINESSES / TOOLS FOR TEACHERS / LATEST NEWS

Take Action

Commit to change. You’ve got more power than you think. Lead by example and make a personal commitment to say “no” to plastic straws and other single-use plastics. Bring your own reusables—straw, cup, cutlery, water bottle, and food containers—and use these items to help start conversations about the broader plastic pollution crisis. Take the Pledge.

Push for change at eateries. Whenever ordering a drink, politely request “no straw, please.” Ask eateries to change their protocol to only serve straws upon request, serve in/on reusable and plastic-free foodware for dine in, and make single-use cutlery, straws, napkins, and condiments optional for take out (bonus: they will save eateries both money and resources). You may also simply leave these informational cards with your bill.

Advocate for change in your community. Show Up, Stand Up, and Speak Up! Advocate for policy change for straws upon request, plastic-free reuse for dine-in and bans on single-use plastic foodware and take-out packaging. Attend and submit a comment at your local city council, town hall, and/or county supervisors meetings. Tell your elected representatives your concerns about the plastic pollution crisis and listen to their responses. Write letters to editors, volunteer for local environmental organizations, create art, and communicate about the issue and solutions to plastic pollution. You can find lots of great info to help you craft your comments and art on our Plastic Pollution Facts page and Solutions page.

Host a film screening. There are many great films about plastic pollution to help educate your community and start a wave of change. Here are some of our favorites:
- Bag It
- Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy (streaming on Netflix)
- Plastic People (currently at film festivals, and available for community showings)
- Single-Use Planet (available for educational screenings, and will be shown on PBS during Earth Week 2025)
- STRAWS the film
- The Story of Plastic (Animated Short or Full-length film)

Resources for Businesses

If you are on board with eliminating single-use plastic straws, but some of your customers still need or prefer to enjoy their beverages with a straw, check out our list of plastic straw alternatives.
Are you a business that has committed to eliminating plastic straws? Let us know! Sign our business-specific pledge.
Print these table tents for eateries to explain the straws upon request protocol to your customers.

Tools for Teachers

Help empower your students to take action on plastic pollution! We have compiled a list of recommended films that students can watch to learn about the plastic pollution crisis, and afterward join an online discussion about what they can do to address single-use plastic pollution right now. We’ve got expertise, enthusiasm, and resources to share to help your students create projects of their own.

Jackie Nuñez, Founder of The Last Plastic Straw, and featured in the documentary STRAWS, will host the online discussions.

The goal of each online discussion is to help students craft individual or group projects to reduce single-use plastic pollution. These ACTION projects can be individual, in their home, in their community, anywhere that makes sense for you and your students right now.

To learn more and inquire about availability, email: info@thelastplasticstraw.org