Drinkers offered eco-conscious alternatives
Order a drink at Mama's Fish House in Maui, Hawaii, and it'll arrive topped with a black paper straw. At South Africa's Conscious 108, you'll probably get a straw made of steel.
As local governments mull restrictions on plastic straws, restaurants and bars around the world are toying with new ways to replace a piece of plastic that has become a ubiquitous part of dining out, whether it’s at a fast-food drive-through or a Michelinstarred restaurant.
Legislation introduced in California would make it illegal for waiters to dole out unsolicited plastic straws. Seattle is banning plastic straws and utensils beginning in July, and California cities Davis and San Luis Obispo now prohibit restaurants from handing out plastic straws unless requested by a customer.
Coastal countries such as South Africa, Costa Rica and Thailand have also been at the forefront of change, shifting to straws made of bamboo, wood or paper instead of plastic.
“There is so much plastic waste that washes up on our beaches that we knew we had to do something,” says Emma Iacono, co-owner of Ylang Ylang Beach Resort in Montezuma, Costa Rica.
The resort stopped using plastic straws nearly two years ago and now provides biodegradable straws upon request.
“Can humanity survive without plastic straws? I think so,” says celebrity chef and Washington area restaurateur Jose´ Andre´s.
But his customers don't always agree. Back in 2010, Andre´s swapped plastic straws for paper ones at his Washington restaurants. Diners were livid. “It was the closest thing I've ever seen to a customer revolt,” he says. He reverted to plastic and tried again a few years later, to the same results. Now he's settled on a compromise: customers don't get plastic straws unless they specifically request them, and only about 5 per cent do.
At Minibar by Jose´ Andre´s — where meals cost US$275 per person, not including drinks — cocktails sometimes come with straws made of wood, metal, glass and even hollowed out fennel.
“The straw is this human inven-
Can humanity survive without plastic straws? I think so Chef Jose´ Andre´s