House adopts Krueger resolution to designate June 1 as ‘Skip the Straw Day’
Rep. Leanne Krueger June 13, 2023 | 3:03 PM
HARRISBURG, June 13 – House lawmakers today adopted a resolution (H.R. 119) sponsored by state Rep. Leanne Krueger, D-Delaware, that highlights the issue of plastic waste by designating June 1, 2023 as “Skip the Straw Day” in Pennsylvania.
“Four years ago, a class of fourth graders at Wallingford Elementary School reached out to educate me about the impact that plastic pollution in our oceans has on sea turtles,” Krueger said. “Plastics, microplastics and plastic microfibers harm our environment and wildlife and infiltrates our soil, drinking water and the air we breathe. They came up with the idea of this resolution."
Krueger said Americans generate waste from an estimated 500 million single-use disposable plastic straws each day. To put this into greater context, 500 million single-use straws is enough to fill over 46,400 full-sized school buses per year; as well as disrupting the well-being of over 1,200 species across the globe.
“Broader actions to reduce plastic waste in our great commonwealth must involve larger policy change, as well as small actions like increasing awareness to change behavior. Educating our children about the harmful long-term effects of single-use straws and other plastics to our environment is important."
Kruger said she introduces the ‘Skip the Straw’ resolution each year to continue the conversation about the need to reduce the harmful effects of single-use plastics throughout the state.