About one plastic bag is discarded globally every 12 minutes. Most of them are dumped into incinerators, which produces greenhouse gases. Others end up polluting the ocean. Studies have shown that if humans continue this habit, the ocean will contain more plastic than fishes in three decades. In Singapore, one woman has been fighting this cause with one bamboo straw at a time. Miro Lu has more.

Meet Melissa Lam, a.k.a the Bamboo Straw Girl. She was a journalist; she teaches kids English; but her biggest mission now is to get people to stop using disposable plastics.

MELISSA LAM FOUNDER, BAMBOO STRAWS WORLDWIDE "I started to make bamboo straws to sell them or give them away to my friends. I have always thought it was a good trigger for conversation because if I were to go to a shop and put a bamboo straw in my drink, then my friend or whoever is with me at that point would say, 'Why are you using this?' or 'What is it? Why bamboo?' And we can talk about so much more than just straws."

Since starting her eco-warrior journey five years ago, Melissa has sold hundreds of thousands of bamboo straws. She says in Singapore, local cafes are still a little hesitant when it comes to bamboo straws due to cost concerns. But acceptance has risen in the past six months. Now, 80 percent of her orders come from local customers.

MELISSA LAM FOUNDER, BAMBOO STRAWS WORLDWIDE "My solution to them is, why not just don't offer any straws, and if somebody asks for a straw, you can offer them that reusable alternative."

MIRO LU SINGAPORE "Singaporeans consume at least one single-use plastic item a day, that's about 1.7 billion pieces of plastic straws, cups and water bottle every year. However, less than 20 percent of them is recycled, according to a study by the Singapore Environment Council. The government said this year that it will step up engagement to reduce the use of plastic items, but advocates say more should be done."

Some traditional retailers have taken measures to reduce their plastic footprint - In June, KFC became the first fast food chain in Singapore to remove plastic straws and lids from its 84 outlets. But many shops continue to provide disposable plastic as they are concerned that customers would complain and take their business elsewhere. While the government is reluctant to impose a plastic tax, the movement has been bottom up. More eco-friendly companies have popped up all over Singapore this year. Sonder Social wants to ease people into a sustainable lifestyle with eco-friendly products like bamboo speakers and beeswax wrap.

SYAFIQAH OMAR FOUNDER, SONDER SOCIAL "When we compare with other countries jumping on board this cause, it's almost like saying Singapore doesn't really care about the environment, it's been put on the back burner for so long and I think this ground-up movement is putting some pressure on Singapore and I hope in the coming months Singapore will adopt this and put resources into this."

As both big corporations and social startups pulling out all stops to drive up environmental awareness, it's only a matter of time before we say goodbye to these plastic suckers. Miro Lu, CGTN, Singapore.