The last straws: some Orange restaurants get rid of single-use plastics

In 2019, California will be the first state to ban restaurants from distributing plastic straws unless the customer asks for them, according to Business Insider. Photo by Bonnie Cash

Those who eat at restaurats might be getting used to hearing the waiter ask, “Do you need a straw with that?”. Restaurants in Orange are jumping on the sustainability bandwagon, decreasing their waste and plastic consumption by shifting the way they handle plastics.

In 2016, the state of California banned plastic bags, Seattle enacted a ban on plastic straws and utensils this year, and United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May proposed a ban on plastic straws, drink stirrers and and plastic cotton swabs by the end of this year. Recently, there has been a movement to ditch straws and other single-use plastic items in favor of long-lasting, reusable items that are more sustainable for the environment.

“We hand out drinks without straws,” said Nusara Kuawappanaphan, the general manager of The Filling Station Cafe, located on North Glassell Street. “We only have wrapped straws in case someone asks for it, but we don’t offer it.”

Many customers end up asking for the plastic straws anyway, Kuawappanaphan said. The effort to decrease waste is good, she said, but many customers aren’t willing to forgo plastic.

She’s not wrong: Americans use around 500 million plastic straws every day, according to environmental group EcoCycle.

The sustainability practices in place at The Filling Station Cafe reflect the growing trend in California of only distributing straws when requested. In 2019, California will become the first state to ban restaurants from giving out plastic straws unless a customer asks for one, according to Business Insider.

While this law is only in place for restaurants, Starbucks, which is considered a fast-food beverage corporation, has plans to phase out plastic straws entirely by 2020, replacing them with alternative-material straws, and strawless lids.

The move to eliminate plastic straws is in effort to “serve customers in a more sustainable way,” said Kevin Johnson, the president and CEO of Starbucks, in a 2018 press release.

Mallory Warhurst, a sophomore environmental science and policy and political science double major, said she brings a metal reusable straw with her wherever she goes.

“It’s a small act, but it makes a big difference,” said Warhurst, who also said she is a vegetarian in order to decrease her carbon footprint.

Sofia Skevin, a senior psychology and integrated educational studies major, suggested that Starbucks offer dine-in options for customers who don’t need their coffee to go. Warhurst, who is a big fan of Starbucks’ strawless lid approach, agrees with the idea of dine-in options.

“It would be logical to offer glasses or mugs to customers who plan on drinking their coffee in the store,” Warhurst said.

Blue Bowl, location on South Main Street, uses compostable, non-plastic spoons as well as recycled bowls for their organic, vegan create-your-own acai bowls. This could help them decrease negative environmental impact, since cutting meat and dairy products from a person’s diet could reduce their carbon footprint by up to 73 percent, according to a recent study from the University of Oxford.

“Blue Bowl is one of the only places that attempts to recycle all their waste, which is extremely attractive to me,” said Kamaile Patton, a sophomore peace studies major.

Disneyland is also swapping out their plastic lids and straws in favor of open-lidded drinks. The company plans to eliminate single-use plastic straws and stirrers by 2019.

Zoey Pittler, a sophomore integrated educational studies major and frequent Disney , said she is a fan of the change.

“It might be an inconvenience in the moment, but it is beneficial in the long run,” she said.