What's been done?

03/29/2019

2019

January 1- D.C. Plastic Straw Ban Begins

By July, businesses will begin receiving fines if they continue to use plastic straws. A number of businesses have already begun switching to reusable, washable straws made of paper of hay. The law follows Seattle's 2018 ban which strives to reduce our plastic footprint.

January 11- San Diego Bans Styrofoam Food and Drink Containers

San Diego has begun to ban styrofoam containers which include food and drink containers, egg cartons, ice chest coolers, aquatic toys for pools and buoys and navigational markers. San Diego is the largest city in California to enact these changes. They plan to use environmentally friendly containers such as cardboard or compostable paper.

January 17- Peru Restricts Single-Use Plastic

Visitors will no longer be allowed to bring single-use plastics in Peru's natural and protected areas. Places like Machu Picchu, Manu, Huascaran, and national museums will no longer allow single-use plastics on the premise. Peru's Environmental minister stated that the goal is to replace single-use plastics with reusable biodegradable plastic

2018

July 1- Seattle Becomes the First U.S. City to Ban plastic Straws and Utensils

In an attempt to reduce the number of plastic people consume on a daily basis Seattle has banned the use of plastic straws and utensils in restaurants. The approximately 5,000 restaurants within the city are being encouraged to switch to paper alternatives, although a legal but less green option is still readily available, compostable straws and utensils.

July 6- Chile Bans Retail Plastic Bags

Chile has ratified a bill that bans the retail use of plastic bags across the country, due to the concern of plastic sightings on land and in the oceans. Large retailers have six months to phase out single-use plastic bags, while small businesses have up to two years. The ban builds on a previous law passed by the former president of Chile which called for a prohibition on plastic bags along the country's coastline.

July 13- Big Companies Take Aim At Plastic Straws

Big Businesses are responding to public pressures to get rid of plastic straws. Starbucks are among the group of companies to announce that they will ditch plastic straws by the end of 2020. Rather than using straws, Starbucks plans to make special lids to drink the beverages. McDonald's is planning to phase out plastic straws in their Ireland and UK locations as part of UK proposals to cut down on single-use plastic. Bacardi Rum, Bon Appétit Management, Aramark Alaska Airlines, and American Airlines are among some f the big companies that plan to phase out plastic straws.

July 27- Disney Announces Ban on Plastic Straws

The Walt Disney Company announced a ban on single-use plastic straws and stirrers at nearly all its theme parks and resorts. The policy, which is set to be in place by mid-2019, will cut down on the upwards of 175 million straws and 13 million stirrers that are used at these locations. Paper straws will be available upon request and, for guests with disabilities, the company is developing alternative options for traditional plastic straws. Disney will also eliminate polystyrene cups at its parks and cut down its reliance on single-use plastic bags. Instead of disposable bags, guests will have the option to buy reusable shopping bags. Additionally, the company will reduce the amount of plastic in guest rooms by 80 percent. Over the next few years, Disney will transition to refillable amenities in hotels and on cruise ships. When single-use plastics cannot be reduced, Disney will continue to recycle and properly dispose of waste, the company says. Disney has other conservation measures in place. In Orlando at Disney's Animal Kingdom, plastic straws and cup lids have been banned since the park opened in 1998. Other theme parks, including SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Sesame Place, have announced initiatives to phase out straws and other single-use plastics.

(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/07/ocean-plastic-pollution-solutions/)

September 7- Carlsberg beer Gets Rid of Plastic Can Rings, United Airlines Bans Plastic Straws on Flights

Carlsberg will become the first beer company to get rid of the plastic beer rings that hold the cans of beer. Carlsberg also says it will cut the amount of plastic used in its traditional can holders by 76 percent.

In addition, United Airlines banned plastic straws and cocktail picks on their flight. The airline will instead use a biodegradable bamboo alternative, starting in November.

October 1- Red Lobster Has Begun Phasing Out Plastic Straws

Red Lobster has announced that they will only offer plastic straws upon request. This change is scheduled to take place in November in all of its 700 restaurants. By 2020, the company plans to only offer a more eco-friendly alternative to plastic straws. The company says the shift should eliminate more than 150 million plastic straws per year, with the goal of reducing the marine plastic pollution problem.

October 12- Save Our Seas Act

The law, passed with bipartisan support, amends the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Debris Act and funds the program through 2022. This act forces Congress to become more involved in our environmental state. Congress has agreed to fund researcher, the air in debris removal programs, educate the public and investigate the causes of pollution and how to cut down on them.

October 18- Food Service Companies Begin to Get Rid of Single-Use Plastic

Some 13,000 schools, workplaces, and venues will be plastic bag and stirrer free by 2019, thanks to a new sustainability push by food service company Sodexo. The company provides compostable utensils and plant-based menus in their cafeterias. Sodexo also plans to phase out polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) containers by 2025. Plastic straws, will also now only be available upon request.

October 19- American Airlines Cuts Plastic From Lounges

American Airlines plans to phase out single-use plastic in their lounges. The airline has lounges in the U.S. and around the world. Lounges will no longer serve drinks with straws, they will no longer carry plastic utensils, a plastic bottle will no longer be offered and reusable bags will be given for customers who are taking food to go. Straws will be available for those who request one, and drink stirrers will be replaced by bamboo sticks. The company says their changes will eliminate 71,000 pounds of plastic waste annually.

October 29- The Launch of Massive Global Plastic Partnership

250 organizations responsible for 20% of the worlds plastic packaging have committed to reducing their waste and pollution. The initiative is called New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. It includes a variety of members such as H&M, Nestle, Coco-Cola, and Pepsi. It is working to promote a circular economy for plastic, meaning that plastic would be reused and repurposed rather than sitting in a landfill. The project includes improving the collection and processing facilities for plastic. Recycling used items into new products is one of the major goals of the committee, In addition, any new corporations joining the committee must phase out single-use plastic and ensure that it can be reused, recycled, or composted by the year 2025.

November 1- Aquariums Band Together for "No Straw November"

The effort is a campaign to push to eliminate single-use plastic. The effort is led by the ACP, the Aquarium Conversation Partnership, which is made up of 22 aquariums in 17 different states. They are trying to push over 500 business to only serve plastic straws if requested by the customer. They hope to get an additional 500 business by Earth Day. So far, airlines, hospitals, and even baseball stadiums have committed to the change. They are constantly asking for pledges and signing in order to support their war on plastic. See the link below:

https://pledge.ourhands.org/

These are just a few changes that have been made globally as well as nationwide. Plastic usage varies from state to state. Many states utilize bottle deposits as a way to encourage recycling. Overall many small changes have been done, but there has been a lack of nationwide changes made within the US in regards to plastic monitoring.