It may sound a bit rude, but we want you to #stopsucking and say no to single use plastic straws!
Say no to single use plastic straws.
Step 1: Say No to the Straw
If every resident in SXM pledged to #refusethestraw we could save almost 120,000 straws from entering our landfill EVERY DAY. Just remember to refuse the straw before making your order!
Step 2: Spread the Word
If every business on SXM only served straws on request, we could save almost 50 MILLION straws from entering our landfill every year. Let your favorite watering holes know what a big difference they could make! Encourage others you dine with to say no to straws too.
The scale of the problem?
Single use plastic straws take about 200 years to break down. We add 10 40’ containers worth to our beautiful island environment every year. Most of that ends up in the landfill, but plenty ends up on our beaches or in the sea, where it is mistaken for food by endangered sea turtles. At our current rate of pollution, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050.
Numbers are based on average consumption in the USA of 500 million straws a day (1.6 per person, per day), St Maarten / Sint Martin has just under 80,000 full time residents and almost 3,400,000 annual passenger arrivals by sea and air on the Dutch side alone, further adding to our daily population. Just imagine if visitors and residents worked together to say no to straws?
Let us know if you need larger printables or more information to share.
More items to print and logos are available here.
Also, if you are a business who wishes to pledge to stop automatically giving straws, let us know and we will list you here!
What are the alternatives?
It takes 21 days to break a habit and for most of us straws are just that; an unnecessary bad habit. However, some instances call for a straw, so here are some ideas:
Single use paper straws * are great for those with sensitive teeth.
Glass straws * are beautiful and stronger than you would expect (they are made out of the same glass as Pyrex), but they are slightly fatter than you are probably used to.
Stainless steel straws * are durable and easy to care for. They come in fat * (for smoothies and frozen drinks) and regular.
More Questions? The ‘say no to straws’ FAQ is here.
* Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. We may be compensated (at no cost to you) should you decide to buy online. However, for our St Maarten / St Martin visitors we encourage you to shop local, and every effort has been made to provide a local source. Please let us know if you want to be included!
