Working to be Plastic Free: My Interview with Straw Free Tally

Hello, friends! Good to connect with you again! I hope you are doing well, as many of us wrap up summer activities, and jump back into the routine of work and school. I am still hanging out at the Patel College, and, if all goes well, I will graduate in spring 2019 (insert super-happy dance)! The look of my blog has recently changed, and I’m going to try and stick with the statement in my header, and offer innovative, thought-provoking content, while having fun in the process! So, let’s get this party started!

I hope you enjoy my interview with Zachariah Shely, Co-Founder & Vice-Chairman with Straw Free Tallahassee! But first, here is the 26-second blog post promo video:

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with me about SFT! Why did you decide to launch a straw-free movement?

The movement was started by our organizations' founder, Kristen Summers. She could see the need for a community-driven organization that could make positive changes in the way Tallahassee deals with not only single-use plastic straws, but all single-use plastics. Shortly after the groups creation, Kristen and I happened upon one another and realized we share similar interests and aspirations to limit the use of single-use plastics in our states capital. Straws can be seen as a “gateway plastic” to get the average citizens foot into the world of sustainability. 

Who is your audience, and what messages do you want them to hear?

We believe the issue of single-use plastics can be fixed with a three-pronged approach. The community, business, and local government/non-profits need to all work together towards a straw-free, and plastic-free Tallahassee. Other major cities in our great state have already made the switch to “straw-free”, so there is no reason why Tallahassee, Florida’s capital, couldn't do the same and be a leader in sustainability. 

Where would you like to see SFT go over the next few months, and years? 

The ultimate goal for SFT is to work with the local government to put in place an ordinance, which would limit, or ban, the use of single-use plastic straws. After this point we would like to focus on other single-use plastics. In the coming months, we are going to focus on building the organization and getting the community involved, and aware of the issue. 

How have the SFT social media platforms helped you to get your message out? Have you seen steady growth, since using social media to engage with the community?  

Social media is a very important tool in the 21st Century. Different social media accounts can be used in a variety of ways, leading to more engagement with the community. We are currently building our social media presence, but have seen a steady growth on sites such as Facebook and Instagram. The groups Facebook page will be used to start a conversation with the community and get citizens talking about the movement, while sites such as Instagram and Twitter will be used for status updates, membership and partner businesses advertisement, and sharing promotional or heartfelt imagery. 

Anything else you would like to share?

If you would like to learn more about Straw Free Tally, please visit our groups Facebook page at Facebook.com/StrawFreeTallahassee or email us at StrawFreeTallahassee@gmail.com

Yes it is! At my local farmer's market, to visit SFT volunteers!

In addition to social media outreach, SFT tables at events around town. There's nothing like a face-to-face conversation, to make meaningful connections,

The power of partnership! When we work together, we can accomplish great things.

I see a couple things wrong with this pic. A lovely meal, the straws really seem out of place! How about two glasses, sans straws? Photo courtesy of Shari Sirotnak on Unsplash

What do you think? Is the use of plastics being addressed in your city or state? Can you think of reasons why straws may be necessary, and kept as an option? I commend SFT for taking on a challenging issue! Thank you so much for reading 😊