LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS 11) — It's become a global trend over the last year, catching the attention of Starbucks, Disney, American Airlines, even the Queen of England. They have committed to doing away with plastic straws and other single-use plastics. Now, businesses across Kentuckiana are challenging you to do the same.
Plastic straws are cheap and small and getting kicked to the curb after that one-time use and end up in the ocean and in landfills. Straws aren't recyclable and never completely break down.
"The Reduce - Reuse - Recycle isn't just a list, it's a hierarchy. So, reducing the amount of material that's made in the first place is the easiest way to keep things out of the waste stream and the landfill," Andy Reynolds with Waste Management, in Louisville said.
Environmentalists who wish to someday go plastic-free hope you'll make the first step now and forget the straws.
Mike Laverty oversees Westrock Recycling just minutes from the landfill, off Outer Loop and I-65.
Among the paper, cardboard, aluminum, and glass that gets separated for packaging, Laverty says you'll notice there's nothing in there smaller than two inches in diameter. Small plastics like straws and utensils fall through the cracks and land on a conveyor belt headed straight for the trash. However, items that biodegrade go to Westrock's composting center.
In Louisville, the Mercury Ballroom and the Palace Theater have done away with plastic straws, in a nationwide effort under Live Nation Entertainment. Read more on their cause here.
"There have been some questions regarding people with disabilities or people with special needs" Mallory Kramer, the marketing manager with Live Nation said.
One alternative to plastic is the paper straw. There are also reusable straws you can wash after each use. However, disability advocates say losing the plastic straws means losing the ability to drink independently.
"We need to come up with solutions that make sense for everybody," Justin Mog, the sustainability coordinator at the University of Louisville said.
Mog realizes a complete ban might not work for everyone. He mentioned the idea of straws being kept behind the counter unless requested.
"When you confront the reality of, 'Oh My Gosh, what am I going to do without a straw,' you are taking the first baby step toward sustainability, because honestly, we need to think about that with everything we do every day," Justin Mog, the sustainability coordinator at the University of Louisville said.
Mog says recycling is key, but it should come after reducing waste in the first place, like sipping on tap water rather than bottled. He was part of a "trash mob" video from 2013 in one of UofL's dining halls where a group of students dumped trash cans on the floor and placed recyclable and compostable products in their appropriate bins. It was a quick, but clear message to students and staff, to remember what they throw away.
"Once you become conscious, you start seeing the world in a whole new way," Mog said.
Related:
Graphic: Sea Turtle with Straw up its Nostril https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wH878t78bw