Plastic drinking straws are a major culprit in marine pollution and one of the top-four single-use “bad guys”, with plastic bags, bottles and takeaway coffee cups.  

The Last Straw campaign asks café managers to stash straws behind their counters and only provide them on request. 

Tomakin’s Rivermouth General Store café has joined the campaign.

Owner Katrina McDonald said the change to paper straws might seem a small one, but was a big decision.

“After weighing things up, like the costs, we are pleased to make the change for Plastic Free July,” she said.

“It isn’t necessarily easy to do, but we are making change slowly.

“We are now selling (reusable) cups, which many of our regulars really like.

“We have purchased top-quality paper straws, giving our customers more choices when they want to reduce single-use plastic in their lives.

“We also use bamboo cutlery, cardboard trays and paper bags for all our takeaway food, so we are slowly on the way to our plastic-free vision for the café.”

An estimated 80 per cent of marine debris comes from the land.

Plastic straws wash down drains and end up in waterways, breaking down into smaller pieces and are mistakenly eaten by fish, birds and other marine species.

Greenpeace estimates 40 per cent of marine birds worldwide have ingested plastic waste.

Customers can do their bit by refusing plastic straws and encouraging local cafés to participate in The Last Straw campaign this month.

Display signs explaining the campaign and the damage done to the environment by single-use plastics are available from www.plastic

freejuly.org and residents can also pledge to take part. 

Businesses wishing to participate in The Last Straw can phone council’s environment education officer Bernadette Davis on 4474 1037 or council@eurocoast.gov.au.