Avoca adopts paper straws in all stores after campaign

AVOCA will ditch plastic straws, following a flood of comments to their Facebook page calling for the change.

The decision came after the campaign was launched by campaigning organisation Uplift.

Uplift members came together in a campaign to flood Avoca’s Facebook page with comments calling on them to put an end to their use of plastic straws.

Uplift member Anna Doyle, who started the petition calling on Avoca in her local area, Mount Usher Gardens in Wicklow, said: ‘I am so delighted that Avoca are listening to us. When we come together to fight for what we believe in, we are powerful.’

Avoca confirmed this to Uplift and their customers last week.

‘I’m happy to let you know paper straws have now rolled out across all stores. We are currently in the process of disposing all of our plastic straws as of today,’ they said in a communication.

Uplift director Siobhán O’Donoghue said ‘our members up and down the country are stepping up to pressure cafes and restaurants to stop using plastic straws.

‘Our community sees the destruction plastic is causing to our environment, birds, fish and other sea life and we refuse to stand by.

‘It’s often hard to believe that as one individual person it’s possible to make a difference. This announcement has shown that when we pool our energy and use our voice together then we are more powerful.’

In a similar campaign last month Uplift members persuaded Barry’s Tea to commit to removing plastic from their teabags.