Monitoring Photo Gallery

A printable field version of the photo gallery is also available.

Plastic - Straws

Straws come in various sizes ranging from shorter ones (~4 inches) used in cocktail drinks to a variety of beverage types (~8-10 inches). Straws that are made of paper will deteriorate faster, even if wax-coated. Straws found on the beach or floating on the water will most likely be made of polypropylene (PP).
Plastic straw fond on the beach.
Plastic straw fond on the beach. (Photo Credit: Seba Sheavly, Sheavly Consultants, Inc.)
Plastic straw found along East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD.
Plastic straw found along East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD. (Photo Credit: NOAA)
Plastic straws found on the beach at Sandy Point State Park, MD.
Plastic straws found on the beach at Sandy Point State Park, MD. (Photo Credit: NOAA)
Plastic juice straw found on the shore of the Great Lakes. The pencil was staged for scale.
Plastic juice straw found on the shore of the Great Lakes. The pencil was staged for scale. (Photo Credit: NOAA)

Other types of Plastic