Little things can make a big difference. Take, for example, the simple plastic straw. We all use them, sometimes multiple times a day. You pretty much have to make it a point to say you don’t want a straw in the drive-thru line or at a restaurant.

In fact, it is estimated that each day consumers use 500 million straws. That’s enough to fill more than 46,400 school buses each year with straws. Statistics show each person in the United States will use about 38,000 straws between the ages of 5 and 65.

Now think of how often you see plastic debris, like bottles, soda caps, and straws, on the beach.

In 2011, nine-year-old Milo Cress started a movement to try and cut down on the use of disposable plastic straws. People take a pledge to go straw free, find ways to reuse straws or use reusable types of straws.

This is just one effort that is attempting to reduce our waste, some of which unfortunately ends up on our public beaches.

So, do you think you can forego the plastic straw in an effort to reduce waste? It’s just one way to think about making a difference. Even if you opt to continue using plastic straws, cups or bottles, please remember to put them in the proper trash bin when visiting our beautiful Alabama beaches.