Chicago White Sox become first MLB team to ban plastic straws at ballpark

CHICAGO - A major league baseball team is making a major change to try to help the environment.

The Chicago White Sox have just become the first Major League Baseball team to stop serving single-use plastic straws. If fans still want a straw, biodegradable ones are available on request.

The move is part of a bigger effort around the country and the globe to get rid of plastic straws as part of everyday life.

So what's the big deal about plastic straws? According to National Geographic, Americans use 500 million straws every day.

That's enough straws each day to wrap around the world 2.5 times.

Since plastic straws usually don't get thrown in the recycling, they often end up in the ocean instead. Their small size makes them perfect for sea life to get tangled in. They've even been found embedded in sea turtles' nostrils.

What can you do if you want to stop using plastic straws? You can start by asking restaurants to use compostable or reusable straws. Or you can even purchase your own reusable straws to keep with you on the go. Of course, there's always the option of drinking the old fashioned way -- straight from the cup.