Straw Poll

It is estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. One reason is that Americans use, and discard, 500,000 plastic straws every day. These statistics from Lonely Whale* are sounding an alarm about the need for awareness and change in the way our culture uses plastic.

Recycling advancements are finding ways to reuse plastic, but not plastic straws. Perhaps you have seen the disturbing video of a plastic straw being pulled from a sea turtle’s nostril?

Heading the call, many local establishments are now offering alternatives to plastic straws, sometimes up to triple the cost. Most, if not all, agree the cost is worth knowing they are helping raise awareness and generate community conversation around plastic waste.

Here are some local establishments leading the way:

Proof on Main and Lockbox: In December 2017, 21c Museum Hotels joined the #StopSucking movement, eliminating single-use plastic straws from beverage services in all eight locations across the U.S. In total, the campaign is eliminating more than 735,000 straws. If requested, guests receive branded Strawless Ocean biodegradable paper straws.

Heine Brothers' Coffee: On April 22, owner Mike Mays chose Earth Day to launch the company’s switch from plastic, driven by customers’ requests for options and through the stories of plastic straws “falling through the cracks” in the recycling process.

“It took us a while to find something better than a simple paper straw,” said Mays, noting that the typical paper straw got soggy quickly and did not hold up well to coffee drinks. For now, the stores still offer plastic straws as customers make the transition. In addition, Heine Brothers' offers compostable cups and has stopped offering stirrers and sleeves to reduce waste.

bar Vetti: General Manager Emily Albert has stopped using plastic straws and believes sharing that commitment with customers is an important part of the solution. “We hope this dialogue will motivate people to reconsider their use of straws and similar products.” Bartenders use glass straws behind the bar. Albert does not see paper straws as an alternative because she believes they are still a single-use, nonrecyclable item that contributes to things like deforestation.

Pizza Lupo: Hay straws are the choice for this Butchertown pizza and pasta restaurant, according to Sarah Balliet, who explains the straws are cut from hay stalks, require minimal processing and are gluten-free. In fact, the restaurant is ditching single-use plastic across the board.

Ngon Appétit: The Vietnamese restaurant believes metal straws for in-house drinks and hay straws for to-go beverages are a good solution. Owner Thuy Nguyen says that wholesale hay straws are roughly five times more expensive than plastic straws. However, the price doesn’t sway his commitment to help the environment.

Lilly’s Bistro, Naïve Restaurant, The Limbo and Another Place Sandwich Shop are a few other Louisville establishments using alternative straws. Know a place not mentioned? Let us know!

The trend is similar in Lexington, thanks in part to Lockbox at 21c and Trisha Tungate, owner and bartender at Minglewood who, at the beginning of the year, challenged neighboring restaurants in Limestone to the #dontsuckinjanuary movement. Immediate responses came from Oscar Diggs, who went straw free, and Corto Lima, who switched to biodegradable straws. Over the months, others have joined including Sam’s Hot Dog Stand in North Limestone and Sidebar Grill, which found straw alternatives.

Movement is also happening on the national scene with commitments from such players as American Airlines, Hyatt, IKEA and Starbucks.

According to The Americans with Disabilities Act, there is one exception: Plastic straws are a vital tool for many disabled individuals. In their situations, straw alternatives may offer a host of issues: paper straws and similar biodegradable options fall apart too quickly. Silicone ones are often not flexible for those with mobility challenges. Reusable straws need to be washed, which can be challenging for some. And metal straws, which conduct heat and cold in addition to being hard and inflexible, pose a safety risk.

Does Kentucky contribute to the plastic straw problem in our oceans and landfills? On a world scale, the percentage is minimal. But what is important is the increasing awareness and conversation our society is having about plastic waste, in our backyard and across the world.

Want to do your part? Look for one of these alternatives: acrylic, paper, metal, glass, bamboo or plant-based/ compostable straws. Better yet, go strawless! This prevents lip wrinkles and helps save the environment.

*Lonely Whale is a nonprofit incubator for ideas that drive change focused on eliminating plastic waste that ultimately ends up in the ocean. LonelyWhale.org

#StopSucking: www.strawlessocean.org