IRISH pubs across the globe have been called upon to ditch the use of plastic straws on their premises.
The Irish Pubs Global Federation is spearheading the campaign in an effort to combat the global issue of plastic pollution.
The organisation, an association for Irish pubs worldwide, launched the initiative last week, calling for members to phase out the use of plastic straws in their pubs this year by opting for evironmentally-friendly straws instead.
The Federation explained: “The issue has been heavily covered in the media over the past month, with many pubs and bars getting on board with the concept.
“Last year, Wetherspoons announced it would be replacing plastic straws with a biodegradable alternative across all of its 900 pubs.
“In November, the well-known Whelan’s live music venue in Dublin announced it had replaced all plastic straws with a bio-plastic version.
“Research has shown that in the US alone, 500 million plastic straws are used per day.”
As part of the campaign, Irish Pubs Global are offering members 10 per cent off their 2018 membership fee if they pledge to phase out plastic straws in their pubs – a move which has already received great feedback and interest from its members worldwide.
They explain that there are many environmentally-friendly alternatives to plastic straws that can be used in pubs - including paper, bioplastic and reusable stainless steel or glass straws.
Averyl Quinn, Community Manager at Irish Pubs Global, commented: “We are delighted to have received such a positive reaction from our members on this issue of combatting plastic pollution. The statistics on the environmental impact of plastic straws alone are shocking and we encourage all our members in Irish pubs worldwide to join us in our campaign to end the use of plastic straws and spread awareness on this topic.”
