Curbing the use of plastic straws.
Dear Readers:
The plastic straw: We grab one every day without a thought, but let’s rethink this. Experts say that Americans use and dispose of upward of half a billion plastic drinking straws every day.
Plastic straws can’t ordinarily be recycled (they’re too lightweight), and their final resting place can be, sadly, in the oceans, often consumed by marine life, especially birds and turtles.
How can we curb the use of plastic straws? National quick-serve restaurants are developing lids that have a built-in spout, and many amusement parks don’t offer straws or lids on drinks. Paper straws that can decompose are in development, or how about a reusable straw?
For those of us who can go without the straw, let’s make this the last straw. Heloise
Dear Heloise:
I use my hot-glue gun on those slippery shampoo bottles. Now we can hold each bottle due to the glued-on ridges around the bottle, and the glue does not come off when wet!
I made the handles of my bath brushes easy to hold and manage the same way. A Happily Creative Octogenarian, via email
Dear Heloise:
My daughter got married, and the newlyweds were overwhelmed with all the instruction pamphlets and warranty cards that came with their gifts.
I suggested that they use plastic sheet cover pockets that are threehole-punched. All the directions are in one neat place. Patti J., Moreno Valley, Calif.