Plastic is a part of every day life for most Americans. On average we throw out over 500 million plastic straws every day. We don't think much of it when we're drinking from our straws or when we throw out old bottles, but the unfortunate reality is that between 12,000 and 24,000 tons of plastic is ingested every year by animals, mostly marine life. That plastic later transfers to bigger marine life higher up the food chain as they consume the fish. And the fish who aren't hunted by bigger life find their way on to your dinner plates, leaching harmful toxins, such as BPA, into the bodies of you and your loved ones. Plastic straws in particular kill millions of sea birds a year, and it was estimated that at least a quarter of fish found in markets have plastic fibers in their bellies.

We have to act now. Our plastic habits are polluting the planet at such an alarming rate that it has been estimated that by the year 2050 we will have more plastic in our oceans than fish. Banning plastic straws may seem extreme, but the positive impact it could have on us and the environment is so astounding that we could actually create a healthy and thriving world for our fellow earthlings and for future generations to come. If you can't do it for the animals and the planet, do it for your family!

The above image is not ours. It is credited to photographer Sean Williamson.