In Berkeley, California, there’s no environmentally conscious restriction the city isn’t willing to consider. According to KCBS, Berkeley Councilwoman Sophie Hahn has suggested the latest one: a ban on pesky plastic drinking straws, which she says is a habit that destroys the planet.

Considering over 5 million plastic straws end up in landfills each year, and they take up to 200 years to fully decompose, straws do contribute heavily to overall waste.

For Berkeley, this kind of move would be par for the course. In 2013 the city issued the single-use bag ordinance, ridding stores of plastic bags. In 2015, the city added taxes on soda to curb unhealthy consumption. 

What this ban means for residents, restaurants, and beverage drinkers is that straw norms may have to change. Current alternatives to plastic straws are metal, reusable plastic, paper, or corn straws. While the latter may be easy to recycle, it’s the metal and reusable plastic straws that can be more concerning. The idea of toting around a straw for reuse is not an easy image to swallow for most.

If passed, the earliest Berkeley residents may see the plastic straw ban in effect is 2018.