The Restaurant Industry, Plastic Straws, and the Reusable Revolution

When you consider the statistics regarding plastic waste in the world's oceans, where it's often broken down and consumed by wildlife, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of plastic used and discarded on a regular basis. Eight million tons¹ of plastic waste ends up in the ocean every year, the equivalent of five grocery bags full of trash for every foot of coastline in the world. A 2016 study² determined that by 2025, there will be a third as much plastic in the ocean as fish, and by 2050 the ocean will hold more plastic than fish, by weight.

What does that mean for wildlife? We're already seeing the effects: an endangered sperm whale³ killed by the plastic in its digestive system, coral reefs suffering from plastics blocking sunlight, and 90 percent of seabirds⁴ carrying plastic in their guts. Perhaps most concerning for those in the restaurant industry, studies have found that as much as 73 percent of fish, including those sold for human consumption, are contaminated⁵ with microplastics, the tiny pieces that larger items eventually break down into in the ocean. Even if you don't eat seafood, the alarming amount of microplastics⁶ found in bottled water should concern you.

It's hard to think of plastic straws as anything other than innocuous, since they show up on the table with our drinks nearly every time we dine out. Most diners use them without a second thought, but as the growing problem of plastic pollution becomes a more common topic of conversation, some operators are looking at disposable straws in a different light.

Starting with Straws

With so much plastic pollution in the oceans, disposable straws may seem like an odd place to start. However, because they are so small, straws are easily blown around, meaning they often become unintentional litter and make their way to the ocean. Thanks to a number of campaigns urging consumers to go straw-free, many restaurants are offering alternatives. According to the U.S. National Park Service, 500 million straws are used daily in the United States alone, so stemming that tide could prevent a lot of plastic pollution.

While some restaurants have chosen to use paper straws, pasta straws, or none at all, Eastern Standard now uses reusable BPA-free plastic and stainless steel straws. Other restaurants have expressed concern for how local health departments would respond to reusable straws, but Eastern Standard did not have any problems getting their usage approved.

"We do not make a single decision that is not in compliance with the health department," says Peña. "We approached our consultant from the health department and we treat these as we do our silverware. As long as they are soaked in a separate [quaternary] sanitary solution, the concentration remains at 200 ppm, they are washed twice in a high-temp dishwasher, and dried, it is in line with current health and sanitation standards."

Straws may be just a small piece of plastic, but their use is so commonplace that this was still a major change. Thankfully, with a little planning, Eastern Standard employees adjusted without any problems.

"We have had way more positive reviews from guests than negative, that's for sure," he says. "We've had some thank us, others intrigued, and some folks haven't even noticed, and that's perfect for me."

Eco-friendly Legislation

Because the plastic pollution problem is a public health issue, it's no surprise that governments have begun regulating it. They range from carefully worded suggestions to outright bans, and more are likely to be added soon.

• Beginning June 1^st, a ban on all disposable plastic straws and utensils will go into effect in Malibu, Calif. Local studies during clean-ups found straws to be the fifth most-common litter on the city's beaches, with plastic utensils sixth.
• Supervisors in San Francisco are now considering following suit,⁷ with a ban on disposable plastic straws and utensils potentially joining a similar prohibition of polystyrene to-go containers in the City by the Bay.
• San Luis Obispo, Calif., passed an ordinance last year stating that dine-in restaurants can only provide disposable plastic straws upon request.
• Davis, Calif., had a similar ordinance go into effect in September 2017. Servers must now ask customers if they want a straw before offering one.
• Seattle's 2008 ordinance aimed at phasing disposable plastics out of the foodservice industry will be expanded to include disposable plastic straws and cutlery on July 1^st.

Perhaps most notably, Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon introduced a bill in the California legislature in January that would prohibit dine-in restaurants from providing straws to guests unless they are specifically requested. The move likely isn't surprising to those who followed similar legislative efforts aimed at environmental protection in the state, like a ban on plastic shopping bags⁸ and a failed attempt last year to prohibit polystyrene containers.

Calderon's bill, styled AB-1884, has passed its first test, with a 7 to 3 party-line vote in the Assembly's Natural Resources Committee, but it still has several hurdles ahead of it. If it does make it through, it will be the first statewide legislation of its kind in the United States.

"A food facility where food may be consumed on the premises shall not provide
single-use plastic straws to consumers unless requested by the consumer."
-Proposed Section 114082 of the California Health and Safety Code⁹

If your restaurant decides to ditch single-use plastic straws, a little planning will go a long way: "Communicate as much as you can with everyone in your restaurant," recommends Peña. "This involves a few moving pieces that require everyone to be in line with it."

This content was originally published in 2018. Eastern Standard permanently closed in February 2021. Photos courtesy of Emily Hagen.

References

1. Straw Wars: The Fight to Rid the Oceans of Discarded Plastic. National Geographic. Accessed September 2021.
2. The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastics. World Economic Forum. Accessed September 2021.
3. A sperm whale washed up on the shore of Spain with 64 lbs of plastic and waste in its stomach. Quartz. Accessed September 2021.
4. Up to 90% of seabirds have plastic in their guts, study finds. The Guardian. Accessed September 2021.
5. Seals, Large Percentage of Deep-Sea Fish Contaminated by Microplastics. The New Humanitarian. Accessed September 2021.
6. Synthetic Polymer Contamination in Bottled Water. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. Accessed September 2021.
7. SF to consider banning plastic straws. San Francisco Chronicle. Accessed September 2021.
8. Success! California’s first-in-the-nation plastic bag ban works. The Mercury News. Accessed September 2021.
9. AB-1884 Food facilities: single-use plastic straws. California Legislative Information.