Plastic has invaded our oceans and, according to a 2016 Ellen MacArthur Foundation report, there will be more waste plastic than fish in the sea by 2050.

Single-use plastic products like straws are one of the main culprits for today's destruction of our oceans and marine life, but we can actually do something about this problem.

Plastic straws are non-biodegradable and hard to recycle. Most of them are too light and small to make it through the mechanical recycling sorter.

Sadly, straws often get into the ocean due to human error - through littering or getting blown out of trash cans or boats.

As straws are merely an item of convenience for most of us, we can do our part for the environment by simply refusing single-use plastic straws when ordering a beverage.

Food and beverage organisations should also go straw free. Instead, they can use biodegradable products that are more environmentally friendly, like paper or bamboo straws.

Taking care of our environment is a shared responsibility.

Stopping the use of single-use plastic products and going straw-free will go a long way in conserving our environment.

Sheri Zuleika Muhammad Yunos, 20

Polytechnic Year 3 student