Students get eateries to ditch plastic straws
GEMS Modern Academy campaign takes environmental mission to restaurant tables
Several leading restaurants in Dubai have ditched plastic straws following an environmental campaign by schoolchildren.
Students from GEMS Modern Academy in Dubai have been visiting restaurants to convince them to discontinue plastic straws or make them available only when customers ask.
More than 100 senior students have joined hands with local not-for-profit marine conservation organisation Azraq, which means blue in Arabic, to reduce plastic straw use in Dubai. Azraq had visited the Indian-school in Nad Al Sheba recently to discuss how students can participate in its campaign, launched earlier this year, to urge restaurants to ditch plastic straws. ■
Following Azraq’s visit, students have been forming teams to visit restaurants as part of their ‘#reduceplasticstraw’ campaign. Restaurants that have signed up so far include Chili’s and Joe’s Crab Shack in Dubai Mall, as well as Barbeque Nation, Daily Restaurant, Peshwa Restaurant, Sthan and Jaffer Bhai’s in Karama, among others.
“It is fantastic to see young adults taking action in an attempt to reverse some of the damages already created by single-use plastic on our marine and urban environment,” said Natalie Banks, managing director of Azraq.
Nargish Khambatta, principal, said even the school’s KG section has started a ‘Say No to Straws’ campaign. She added: “We are so pleased to see the sincerity with which our students have adopted this and are working hard to get adults to buy in as well. Our earth is indeed in safe hands.”
Grade 10 student Pooja Hari said her team convinced 17 restaurants to either ‘serve [plastic straws] upon request’ or to replace plastic straws with bamboo straws or paper straws. She added: “Initially, it was a little hard because restaurant managers asked us questions like ‘why is this campaign so important’ and ‘why does this cause matter so much to you’. Once we explained and presented them with statistics, they were convinced and showed equal passion in supporting our cause.”
Another grade 10 student, Mihira Anand, said her team manconvinced 10 restaurants to ditch straws or make them optional on the menu. She added that a few fast food chains said they could not promise to sign up as such decisions could only be taken at a higher level. However, some fine dining restaurants agreed to place an option on their menu.”