Following February's news that the Irish Pubs Global trade association was appealing to its members to cease using plastic straws in a bid to make businesses more environmentally friendly, the Restaurants Association of Ireland is now encouraging all businesses to implement a ban of plastic straws within their premises to tackle the waste issues which arise from the straws' use.
Other countries have taken action on this issue already. Recent reports indicate the UK government plans to ban plastic straws, with the Marriott International, London City Airport and Eurostar announcing measures to remove single-use plastic straws from hotels, food and drink outlets, and train carriages. The Restaurants Association of Ireland is encouraging its members to do the same and lead the charge in reducing the instance of non-biodegradable waste in the industry.
Speaking at a recent event in DCU, Minister for Communications, Climate Action & the Environment Denis Naughten said, "As a society we discard an incredible 80% of what we produce after a single use. We have a global and a national plastics crisis."
Meanwhile, Restaurants Association of Ireland president Liam Edwards asserted, "By removing plastic straws from our restaurants, I believe we can make a difference in the use of unnecessary plastic and make the Irish restaurant and hospitality industry more sustainable and environmentally friendly."
© 2018 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
