This Stafford County 4th grader convinced officials to ban plastic straws

STAFFORD — Plastic straws are now banned in Stafford County Public Schools.

Conway Elementary School fourth-grade student Lily Tipling pushed for change and convinced the School Board to ban plastic straws at all Stafford County Public Schools. The ban went into place on Tuesday, May 6.

“While plastic straws are only a small fraction of the plastic we discard, they are detrimental to our environment,” said Lily at the School Board meeting on March 26.

What started as a school project for her Focus class, the gifted and talented program at Conway Elementary School, has evolved into a campaign that is bringing about real change.

“At first I wanted to get rid of all plastic cutlery, but my mom wanted me to take one step at a time,” Lily said.

Each year the school division consumes 150 cases of plastic straws, each containing 12,000 straws. It costs the division $4,700 to purchase straws annually.

“The students are extremely wasteful with straws, frequently dropping them in the hallway, using five or more at a time, and blowing bubbles in their milk,” said Lily, addressing the Board. “Our milk and juice cartons are designed to be used without straws.”

Any student who needs a straw will have access to one upon request. These students include anyone from pre-K to first grade, headstart students, and special needs students.

Paper straws, in lieu of plastic ones, may be made available for these students. Using the current vendor, paper straws cost $0.13 cents each while plastic straws cost less than $0.01.

“Recyclable straws are significantly more expensive than plastic, however, we will be limiting the availability,” a schools spokesman said.

It was not budgeting considerations that caused the ban on plastic straws, however.

“We did not do this to save money, but to be environmentally friendly and to support a sensible and good idea by one of our students,” Superintendent Scott Kizner said.

Lily was invited to set up a booth for the 16th annual Fredericksburg Earth Day Festival held on Saturday, April 27. They were invited by Paula Chow, Sierra Club member who helped coordinate the event, to have a free stand at the festival.

The booth had two posters detailing Lily’s research on plastic straws and included a signature list for people to pledge not to use plastic straws.

As for Lily’s future endeavors, she does not intend to stop at plastic straws. In a journal, she has written down and developed a plan to “Save Stafford County.”

“I thought that if I could ban straws, then there are other things that I can do,” Lily said. “I just sat down one day, outside, and started writing.”

Before she turns 15, her goals are to plant trees, help the SCPA, give care backpacks to the homeless, clean up the Rappahannock River, and start a bike to work campaign.

She also wants to make a bookmobile which is her mother Jessica Tipling’s, ESOL teacher at Hampton Oaks Elementary, original idea. The trailer would be equipped with Chromebooks and internet for students to use.

“If one person can make a difference, then imagine what all of us together can do,” said Lily.