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4th May 2018
10:03am BST
Whether you're sipping on an ice-cold coke or you're deep into a fifth cocktail, a plastic straw is essential for keeping the pace steady.
But, can you imagine a life without the plastic straw? Well, it looks like we might have to.
The Restaurants Association of Ireland jas welcomed the banning of plastic and single use straws in restaurants and pubs.
The issue of waste needs to be addressed by all businesses but in particular those within the hospitality and bar trade.
The Restaurants Association of Ireland, with over 2,500 members including restaurants, gastropubs, and hotel restaurant has encourageed all businesses to implement a ban of plastic straws within their premises.
A straw which is only used on average for 20 minutes can take more than 200 years to breakdown into smaller pieces and often does not fully disintegrate.
Other countries have taken action on this issue already. Recent reports indicate the UK Government plans to ban Plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds which has led to various companies tacking the issues head on in advance of legislation.
The Restaurants Association of Ireland encourages its members to do the same and lead the charge in reducing the instance of non-biodegradable waste in our 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 80pc of what we produce after a single use. We have a global and a national plastics crisis…”
The Restaurants Association of Ireland has various foodservice and catering equipment partners all of whom stock paper and biodegradable alternatives to plastic straws.
These include:
What do you think of the plastic straw ban? Good idea/bad idea? Let us know in the comments.
