Have you noticed some restaurants do not automatically bring you a straw with you drink? While eating at a local restaurant the other day, a woman looked around the table for a straw. She stopped the server to ask for a straw and the server handed a straw to her. More and more eco-friendly food and beverage providers have decided to join the “straw movement” and only provide straws when asked for them.
The internet is a great platform to begin any movement. A photo of a turtle with a straw stuck in one nostril with blood oozing from the puncture attributed to the current “straw movement”. If you close your eyes and try to imagine this turtle, you will understand why this image would cause such a buzz on the internet. Most people have become concerned since the early 2000’s. The global warming and going green initiatives have brought sustainability to the forefront and other initiatives form each and every day.
Today, restaurants and bars have a number of options to choose from when it comes to backing sustainability and supporting the goal to reduce the amount of waste we produce. Some have moved toward paper straws, others choose reusable metal straws, while others have chosen compostable straws. The options are there for any restaurant or bar to remain active and supportive in the focus of conserving our environment.
Aldo Leopold was an ecologist, scientist, environmentalist, and conservationist (as well as many other things). Aldo Leopold brought awareness and influence to wilderness conservation and our current environmental awareness. He stated, “Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.”
With so many straw options (bendable straws as well), what can your bar or restaurant do to support the current straw movement. The simple changes made in the food and beverage industry could raise awareness to go beyond the plastic straws into cutting down plastic usage in general
Looking at coffee shops, Starbucks has always offered recyclable cups for a price but has added a few other alternatives. While visiting a local Starbucks, there is a cup you can purchase with a recyclable plastic lid. The cup looked like a sippy cup to pacify the most tired adult. In talking to the staff, Starbucks will introduce straws made of alternative materials. Each food and beverage establishment will need to evaluate the alternatives and make the best decision possible.
The right initiative changes can actually lower overhead and gain customers. What social-media marketing can you make work for you as you introduce your own ingenious green initiatives?
Below is a list of 3 “Straw Movements”