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California has passed a law prohibiting restaurants from automatically distributing plastic straws to protect the environment, especially the ocean and marine life.
"Plastic has helped advance innovation in our society, but our craze for single-use convenience has had disastrous consequences," California Governor Jerry Brown said at the signing of the project. Thursday.
"It is estimated that ocean plastic kills millions of marine animals each year".
The legislation, which comes into effect on January 1, applies only to full-service restaurants, dinner restaurants, and not to fast-food restaurants or other businesses. He sets a fine of $ 25 a day for restaurants that break the rule, the total not to exceed $ 300 a year.
Joel Saget / AFP / Getty Images, FILE"
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"Plastic has helped advance innovation in our society, but our craze for single-use convenience has had disastrous consequences"
About 835,425 straws were collected on the state's coastline between 1988 and 2014, according to a statement from the office of the leader of the majority in the State Assembly, Ian Calderon. Many other straws have been collected in or around California's lakes and streams, the statement said.
"By removing the default behavior of providing straws to each beverage, consumers have the opportunity to make a small deliberate change that will minimize the harmful effects of single-use plastic straws in the environment," said Calderon. "This is a small step forward and we hope this will set a precedent for the rest of the country to adopt similar policies that will ensure that less plastic ends up harming the environment."
According to a market study conducted by the Freedonia Group, the United States is expected to spend $ 600 million annually on disposable straws by 2022.
Plastic waste has harmed marine animals.
In June, about 80 plastic scrap was found in a dead pilot whale in Thailand, Reuters reported. The whale died after spitting five plastic bags, according to Reuters.
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