Reporter
October marks CSU Bakersfield’s 3rd annual Sustainability Month. To kick-off the festivities, students, staff and faculty are invited to participate in the Skip-the-Straw campaign.
The campaign is championed by Stephanie Magana, a junior who is majoring in Computer Engineering, and is the Sustainability Student Assistant to Jennifer Sanchez, CSUB’s Sustainability Coordinator.
The idea of skipping the straw is to help students, staff and faculty become more aware of the environment and the impact that single use plastics have. On average, consumers use approximately 500,000 straws a day. Each straw can take up to 200 years to decompose, and more often than not, the straws and other plastics end up in our oceans endangering sea life.
Why a straw? Why not skip single use plastics altogether? Sanchez explains that we have to start somewhere. “It’s one little thing, but I think the important thing is that it makes you aware of using a plastic that could last for hundreds of years.”
Magana agrees, and further explains, “It’s actually not that hard. It’s something doable, so asking the campus to skip a straw is not asking a lot, but it will make a big difference.”
How does one skip the straw? “Where ever possible say no thank you or don’t grab one,” explains Sanchez.
Campaign posters will be displayed on campus wherever you find a straw receptacle. Simply scan the QR code with your smartphone or go to the webpage and put in some simple information to make a pledge to Skip the Straw. The first 200 students, staff or faculty to pledge will receive a stainless-steel straw.
There aren’t currently any plans to have stainless steel straws available on campus for students to purchase, but perhaps the success of the campaign will help spread awareness and create the need.
Asking CSUB students to skip the straw will also help acclimate students for what is to come in the future. The CSU system is currently working on a statewide policy to eliminate and reduce all single use plastics at all 23 campuses. Other universities have already implemented a policy or plan to implement one in the near future. This policy will extend to far more items than just straws, forks and spoons. It includes plastic, Styrofoam, plastic disposable cups, and even packing materials. Vendors are being asked to provide alternative sustainable materials across the board.
When students were asked how they felt about the CSU system putting such a policy in place, Lee Whitsen, a senior majoring in Business commented, “I feel like it would be a nuisance, but I could see why it would happen.”
Other students such as freshmen Psychology majors Jasmine Gutierrez and Odessa Maldonado, were okay with the changes the policy would put in place.
Companies worldwide are also joining in on the campaign to reduce consumption of single use plastics. American Airlines, Hyatt, Marriott, Disney and Starbucks to name a few have all joined the campaign to reduce and eventually eliminate the consumption of single-use plastics.
CSUB kicked off their Sustainability Month activities on Oct. 1 in the Student Union Patio with a bike ride for Ride Share week, a movie night, clothing drive and planting days at the Edible Garden.
