Plastic straws on way out
Many looking ahead to what could be next: Disposable flatware? Single-use bags?
Jennifer Gossen likes the ideas of giving up plastic straws to help the environment until she thinks about drinking out of dirty glasses at restaurants or what her children are going to do.
“Kids need straws,” said the Orlando mom. “Any parent and anyone who has waited on tables understands that.”
She may have to find an alternative soon.
Restaurant operators, hotels and theme parks in Central Florida are acknowledging the plastic straw is on the way out — and soon other conveniences will be under attack too. Many are looking ahead at disposable silverware and single-use plastic bags as the next marked for elimination.
The changes came swiftly after environmental groups lobbied chains early in 2018 to ditch straws in an attempt to keep plastics out of oceans and marine life.
SeaWorld adopted a policy in June that it would only give out straws on request, followed by Disney and restaurant chains such as Red Lobster and Starbucks. Orlando’s Rosen Hotels & Resorts said they would eliminate the use of plastic straws at its 26 restaurants by next year. Even governments such as Miami Beach have moved to eliminate plastic straws.
“The movement is gathering a lot of momentum around the country and here in Orlando,” said Fred Thimm, owner of Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen & Bar in Winter Park, a restaurant that has ditched plastic straws. “Straws are insidious, not only because of the way seabirds and fish can ingest them. From an environmental stand-
point, there are millions of tons of plastic being dumped into the ocean.”
Even restaurants that haven’t enacted anti-straw policies are looking for alternatives.
But as the anti-plastic straw movement builds momentum, many are wondering if there is a viable alternative. Paper straws get soggy and aren’t good for hot drinks and milkshakes. Reusable straws are not only expensive and theftprone but are tough to clean.
“Like anything that is a push toward eco-friendly, there is a love-hate relationship in the industry,” said Christina Donahue, president of Waltham, Mass.based Dining Alliance, a company that pools together with small restaurants and chains for more purchasing power.
“You want to be conscious of what’s going on, but it’s going to come at a price.”
With the swift public turn against plastic straws, she also thinks businesses will have to find an alternative to plastic bags soon.
“There are reusable bags out there, but I never think of bringing those when I go out,” Donahue said. “Some of this is going to be on the businesses, and some of it will be on training consumers.”
Orlando-based Red Lobster is starting this month to offer straws on request. It has also switched over to recyclable take-out containers instead of styrofoam.
“Plastic straws are just the beginning,” said Red Lobster spokeswoman Nicole Bott. “We are looking at everything. The next step is looking at how to cut back on waste in the supply line.”
It is still using straws on alcoholic beverages to distinguish those from non-alcoholic drinks, she said.
Because the straw policy started this month, they are still waiting to see how customers react, she said.
Winter Park’s Reel Fish has turned to paper straws and foil takeout containers, but the change comes at a cost, Thimm said.
“It definitely isn’t saving us money, even if people use fewer straws in general,” he said.
For instance, a case of foam take-out containers costs $25, compared with $58 for paper and recyclable-plastics, said Donahue, of Dining Alliance.
Donahue said the move has come so fast, prices are still high for environmentally friendly alternatives.
Thimm said although customers at his dine-in restaurant have been understanding about straws, it’s a tougher sell for restaurants that rely on drive-thru and carry-out traffic.
Orlando’s Beefy King has considered plastic alternatives for straws, but owner Roland Smith doesn’t see how it can be done.
“Paper straws just don’t hold up,” Smith said. “And nothing we’ve seen would work for a milkshake.”
The restaurant is a throwback in other ways, such as the foam cups that Smith said keeps drinks colder than paper cups do.
Still, he said Beefy King is talking with suppliers since he knows the momentum is shifting fast.
“I’m all for saving the environment and I’m all for getting rid of plastic straws,” he said. “But in our situation, I think we still need plastic straws.”