Slurping with plastic straws in Gainesville may become a thing of the past.
One of Gainesville’s city commissioners is spearheading the initiative to get rid of plastic straws and become a waste-free city by 2040.
“We’re coming to a crisis point in our environment,” Gainesville City Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos said. “We have to start taking action now and through the next decade to be able to rectify the crisis and ensure our environment is there for future generations.”
UF is environmentally conscious and supports the city’s efforts to go “zero-waste,” Hayes-Santos said.
Zachary Amrose, a UF political science junior, passed a resolution through UF Student Government which requested the university to limit single-use plastic straws on campus, according to Alligator archives.
“Everybody who wants to ban plastic straws does not see this as the end all be all,” Amrose said.
Limiting plastic straws is just a starting point, Amrose said, but he hopes single-use plastic won’t be around in the future.
People against the ban are concerned about convenience and cost, Hayes-Santos said.
Hayes-Santos said he wants to improve the zero-waste Gainesville initiative through city budgeting, conducting waste studies and hiring sustainability managers.
“Growing up in Gainesville, the environment has always been something that’s been of a strong value in our community,” Hayes-Santos said.
Contact Dana Cassidy at dcassidy@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @danacassidy_
