New York city to consider banning plastic straws

If the bill becomes law, restaurants that continue to use plastic straws would be warned, then face fines between $100 and $400

A New York city council member announced on Wednesday his plan to ban plastic straws from the city of 8.5 million people, amid a growing effort across the globe to cut back on plastics.

"We depend on plastic, and that is a trend we have to reverse immediately," said city council member Rafael Espinal, who discussed his proposed ban at a press conference on the southern tip of Manhattan, with the Statue of Liberty in the background.