The Irish Pubs Global trade association has appealed to its members to cease using plastic straws in a bid to make businesses more environmentally friendly.
According to The Sunday Times, several Irish pubs have already stopped using plastic straws entirely, while 40 more have signed a pledge to phase out their use by the end of 2018.
John Lynch, sales manager at bioplastic straw supplier Down2Earth Materials, commented, "There has been a dramatic increase in uptake of compostable straws in Ireland, especially in the Dublin area. We saw increased demand around two or three months before Christmas because of Blue Planet."
Bioplastic is manufactured from plants, meaning that businesses can dispose of bioplastic straws with their food waste. However, bioplastic will not break down in the environment, so care must taken to dispose of it correctly.
