CLUTCHING AT STRAWS

Words and photos by Mo Dukali |

If you’ve been for a drink recently, you may have noticed that the straw you have been given by the bartender is not the usual plastic type but made from paper instead. That’s because many bars and restaurants across the country are becoming more conscious about the damage caused to the environment by plastic waste.

Plastics waste, which can take up to 500 years to decompose, have become an environmental issue since researchers began to discover the negative effects the material is having on wildlife, particularly marine animals.

Last summer, a shocking video emerged online of scientists removing a plastic straw from the nose of a clearly distressed sea turtle. The graphic nature of the video served as a wakeup call to how everyday objects, we consider to be innocent, can make an animal’s life a misery.

According to the pollution research group called Better Alternatives Now, 7.5 percent of plastic waste in in the environment comes from straws and stirrers. That’s a sizable proportion of unnecessary waste considering the majority of people don’t really need a straw in order to consume their beverage. Along with this, it’s estimated that that over 1 million sea birds are killed each year by ingesting plastic and that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish!

The controversy caused by these statistics and campaigners has managed to urge large companies to change their policies on plastic straws and even switch them out for biodegradable materials such as paper, which has a less damaging effect to the environment.

The café chain Starbucks has vowed to phase out all plastic straws by 2020 and McDonalds has stopped allowing customers to help themselves to their straws, requesting that customers only request one if necessary.

But just how many companies are doing their bit to ensure the straws they serve aren’t ending up in the stomachs of sea creatures? I decided to investigate a sample of 20 different food and drink chains around Leeds City Centre, including café’s, restaurant’s, fast food takeaways and pubs in order to see just how many companies have changed their policy on plastic straws in order to provide a brighter future for the planet. During my investigation, I took note of four specific observations in order to determine whether the company was environmentally conscious. The observations were as follows:

Did the company use plastic or biodegradable straws?

Were plastic straws served with drinks by default or upon request?

Are plastic straws available for customers to help themselves to?

Was there a separate recycling bin for plastics?

Out of the 20 food and drink places visited, only seven had made the switch from plastic to paper straws. Cafes such as Nero, costa and Pret a manger now use paper straws; however, Starbucks still use plastic straws and had no clear recycling bin.

True to their word, McDonalds now does not allow customers to help themselves anymore but will provide a plastic straw upon request.

The fast food establishments were the worst culprits. Subway allows its customers free reign of the plastic straws while still not having separate bins for their customers to dispose of their plastics.

KFC also allowed their customers to help themselves to plastic straws, however, one bin was used for both general waste and recycling. When asked if the waste was separated to general and recycling at the end of the night, the KFC staff member refused to comment.

So, it’s clear that companies are beginning to become more conscious of the waste they produce, however, the changes are happening very slowly. Therefore, a more immediate solution is needed and that’s up to all of us.

Say no to plastic straws.