Stop producing plastic lollipop sticks

On Earth Day 2018 we ask: Why do lollipops which only last a few moments, have to be put on plastic sticks, which last a few centuries?

Scientists know now that every year about 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans. It has finally been recognised that there is an overwhelming amount of plastic debris in our oceans, we are becoming engulfed by it. Any quick "plastic ocean" online search will show you that.

91% of plastic is not recycled so every day thousands and thousands of pieces of plastic is washed up on our shores.

Every day I take a few minutes and clean my local beach, I collect over 10 lollipop sticks per day just on my little coast line here in Portugal.

Apart from this just being saddening and ugly, it also has a direct effect on marine life, such as sea turtles. Although they spend much time swimming underwater, they have to come up to the surface to breath through their tiny nostrils. There are many reports of sea turtles with plastic sticks and straws lodged in their nostrils, meaning this plastic can cause them to drown or live in pain. 

We cannot re-use single use lollipop stick plastic again, so the best way to avoid using these plastics is to simply stop buying plastic products. We don't want to stop buying Chupa Chups thats's not the point, we just ask Chupa Chups now to do your bit to lessen the problem by changing to a biodegradable material for your sticks. Better materials are out there when used we are closer to a cleaner ocean and preservation of marine life. Paper sticks (used by other lollipop producers) for instance, will biodegrade relatively quickly if they do end up in the ocean. 

Other companies are finding ways to help with this problem. UK Supermarket Iceland has become the first major retailer to announce it will be going plastic-free on all its own label products within the next five years. Tesco and Johnson&Johnson have stopped selling/producing plastic ear buds in the last year (a product very similar to yours).

Another way, we need produce something to replace plastic lollipop sticks. Paper stick is a good method.

Paper lollipop stick could degradable after a few month.

Shantou Jiechi Machinery is a factory that produce paper lollipop stick making machine. Not only paper lollipop stick, but paper stick for cotton swabs, cotton buds and flags.

We know that Chupa Chups is not solely responsible for all of these sticks, but you are the market leader, so we ask you on Earth Day 2018, to be next in making a positive change. 

Will you stop producing plastic lollipop sticks?