Following on the heels of the fabulous GCA 2018 Conservation Study Trip, and the committee’s work to use no plastic during the event, I got all excited over two recent news items.
On Thursday, September 20, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to reduce ocean waste and the use of plastic straws in the state. Under the measure, restaurants would only be allowed to provide single-use straws upon request. “It is a very small step to make a customer who wants a plastic straw ask for it,” Brown said in his signing message for AB 1884. And it might make them pause and think again about an alternative. But one thing is clear, we must find ways to reduce and eventually eliminate single use plastic products. The law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2019.
Read more about the background of the law by clicking here.
Seattle banned single-use plastic straws and utensils in food service last June. The eco-conscious city has been an environmental leader in the U.S., working aggressively to curb the amount of trash that goes into landfills by requiring more options that can be recycled or composted.
According to Phuong Le, reporter for Phys.org news, proposals to ban plastic straws are being considered in other cities, including New York. Read more by clicking here.
For those of you who are on Instagram, check out lonelywhale. It describes itself as “an incubator for courageous ideas to save our ocean.” You can also visit their Website by clicking here.
Causes often bring together unlikely partners. Lonely Whale, a non-profit dedicated to bringing forward ideas that positively impact the health of our ocean joined forces with Bacardi Limited. Bacardi, as in rum, will encourage consumers, customers, and all those looking to lend their ideas and voices to the initiative, to join the campaign entitled #thefuturedoesntsuck.
If you wonder where to eat in Denver without a straw, click here to see an article in 5280 Magazine.