Bon Appétit Bans Plastic Straws at 1,000 US Restaurants

Bon Appétit Management is banning plastic straws and stirrers at more than 1,000 cafes and restaurants the food-service management company runs.

"The plastic problem is horrific," Bon Appétit CEO Fedele Bauccio said in a news release announcing the ban Thursday. "When I heard the stats and learned how much damage is being done by straws — a product of convenience — my gut reaction was, we have to change this!"

Few of the 500 million plastic straws used every day by Americans are recyclable, causing a burden to landfills, waterways, and oceans, according to the news release. The company said its ban has already begun and will be completed by September 2019.

Paper straws will be available to customers with physical disabilities or other needs, USA Today reported.

Bon Appétit, which bought 16.8 million plastic straws and about 420,000 plastic stirrers in its most recently ended fiscal year, also is switching to wooden stirrers.

The company was inspired in part by the University of Oregon, which banned plastic straws in April, USA Today noted.

Plastic waste has been a growing concern around the world. The United Kingdom recently urged Commonwealth leaders to cut down on plastic waste and announced that it will launch a public consultation for a potential bill banning the sale of the single-use plastics in England.

McDonald's shareholders recently voted against a proposal to report on its plastic straw use as a step toward a ban, saying many restaurants already are addressing the issue, with some switching to biodegradable paper straws.

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