St Pete City Council takes up the issue of eliminating plastic straws and Styrofoam at Tuesday's meeting. It's a good thing and a nice start. No Straws St Pete was on top of things some time ago and the beaches especially embraced the idea. I have a few of the reusable straws and the biggest problem I ran in to right away was making sure they were clean and sanitized. It's not always easy when you can't see what's inside if you're using, say, the metal type. But most of the sites I've checked said two things. Number one, don't let the sit around, rinse them with hot, soapy water right away to avoid things drying inside. The second piece of advice was to use pipe cleaners to get in there and give them a good scrubbing. Good idea. But of course, if you log on to Amazon there are "premium" sets of reusable straws that come with their own cleaner and case. That could be a nice little stocking stuffer.
So, what are you doing to avoid the plastic and styrofoam? Personally, I make sure to recycle and take my smooth cup out of the car and rinsing things right away when I get in to work. We’re all in this together so let’s share some secrets of being kinder to the environment. Reach out to me at ann.kelly@coxinc.com.
WORDS OF WISDOM FROM ANN KELLY’S KITCHEN
I hate plastic bottles. Just think about it before you buy one. We pay more for a gallon of water than we do for a gallon of gas. I think people will realize that water quality standards in most municipalities are as good or better for the stuff coming out of the tap than bottled water companies. You'll save money and save the environment, too. - Philippe Cousteau, Jr.