The movement to ban straws and other single-use plastics to protect our environment is growing bigger by the day. So far, 127 countries and counting are working to enact bans on single-use plastics, including straw bans. Cities like Seattle jumped on the plastic-free bandwagon last year, and Los Angeles is mulling a ban too.
What’s more, the corporate world has also started to steadily turn its back on disposable plastics. Not too long ago, Alaska Airlines announced a plan to ditch plastic straws, followed by American Airlines, Starbucks, and others. Now, Whole Foods is getting in on the straw-free fun in a bid to cut plastic use in their grocery stores. The retailer claims it’s the first national grocery chain to make the environmentally friendly move. Come July 2019, the green-leaning grocer, which was purchased by Amazon in 2017, is doing away with disposable plastic straws in its stores in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom, the company announced today.
While straws aren’t a cornerstone of Whole Foods’ business, they are used at the chain’s Allegro coffee bars, juice bars, and cafes. Now that Whole Foods has realized that plastic straws are largely unnecessary, customers will be offered recyclable, compostable paper straws instead.
