USA Today published a story on Thursday focused on several large hospitality companies reducing the use of plastic. Delaware North’s The Last Straw campaign was prominently featured alongside efforts by several other major players in the hospitality industry, including Marriott, Hilton, United Airlines and Carnival Cruise Line.

Informational material regarding The Last
Straw campaign has been placed in eateries
throughout Delaware North’s travel business.

An excerpt from the story can be found below.

The hospitality industry no longer is being hospitable to plastic waste.

Momentum is growing to minimize the use of single-use plastic among hotels, airlines, airports, and cruise lines. That means plastic straws, cups, bottles, laundry bags and even packaging for hotel guestroom slippers are starting to disappear.

Plastic waste has wreaked havoc on tourist destinations around the world. Late last year, authorities in Bali, Indonesia, declared a “garbage emergency” because of the amount of plastic washing up on a nearly 4-mile stretch of beach on the island’s west coast.

Delaware North, one of the largest privately held hospitality and food service companies in the world, has started scaling back its use of straws at the companies 200-plus dining locations at 23 airports and travel hubs across the USA. “The Last Straw” campaign aims to curb excess plastic waste by offering drinking straws on a request-only basis. Last year, the company served an estimated 8.1 million plastic drinking straws at airport dining locations.

Delaware North on April 20 announced its commitment to reduce plastic waste by scaling back its use of straws at the companies 200-plus dining locations at 23 airports and travel hubs across the United States, followed by locations throughout the company. Dubbed “The Last Straw” campaign, the initiative seeks to curb excess plastic waste by offering drinking straws on a request-only basis.

“Plastic waste is a well-known problem when it comes to environmental pollution, with more than 80 percent of the harmful debris found in oceans coming from plastic products,” said Deb Friedel, Delaware North’s director of sustainability. “It’s estimated that more than 500 million straws are used and discarded every day in the United States, many of which end up in landfills and waterways.”

“Skipping a straw is a small and easy step that can have a ripple effect — we hope this campaign continues to catch on and change the way we think about waste and it impact on the environment.”