Disney announces plan to eliminate plastic straws, stirrers
MIAMI (AP) - The Walt Disney Co. has announced it will stop using single-use plastic straws and plastic stirrers at all of its locations.
Disney officials said in a news release Thursday that the policy will be in place by mid-2019 and is part of the company's "long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship." The plan will eliminate more than 175 million straws and 13 million stirrers annually.
Earlier this month, a ban on plastic straws took effect in Seattle. Since then, Starbucks and Marriot announced plastic straws and stirrers would be removed from their businesses. San Francisco is in the process of enacting a ban on straws and other plastic items, which would begin next July 1.
Disney also announced it will transition to refillable in-room amenities in hotels and cruise ships over the next few years.