To mark World Environment Day, Woolworths has announced it will stop selling plastic straws by the end of 2018.
The change will remove 134 million plastic straws from circulation annually.
The supermarket chain has also committed to remove plastic packaging from a further 80 fruit and vegetable lines in addition to the 140 tonnes of plastic packaging it has already removed over the past year.
“In the last year we have seen a shift towards more sustainable attitudes from our customers and the momentum is growing, with recent research showing a 15% increase in Australians now saying that taking care of the planet is important to them,” Woolworths group chief executive Brad Banducci said in a statement.
“While we’ve made progress in reducing the amount of plastic in our stores, supported recycling labelling initiatives, and made improvements in energy efficiency, sustainable sourcing and reducing food waste, we know that more needs to be done to meet our customers’ expectations.
“Today’s initiatives represent further small, but important, steps in our commitment to make positive change happen. We understand the journey towards a more sustainable future has its challenges, but together with our customers and industry partners we are committed to moving our business, our country and our planet towards a greener future.”
Drinks companies unite to ban plastic straws
In January, both Diageo and Pernod Ricard announced new policies regarding the use and promotion of plastic straws and plastic drink stirrers across their businesses.
“Diageo is committed to minimising our environmental impact and we are, like many of our consumers, increasingly concerned about the negative environmental impact associated with the irresponsible disposal of plastic straws,” said David Croft, Diageo’s global sustainable development director.
“We are therefore committed to phasing out the use of all plastic straws and stirrers from all our offices, events, promotions, advertising and marketing globally – and will advocate the same to our partners and customers. When the use of straws is important to the enjoyment of our brands we will only use reusable, compostable or biodegradable alternatives.”
Pernod Ricard noted: “We believe that small acts have a big impact – and that is why Pernod Ricard has decided to stop using non-biodegradable plastic straws and stirrers in any part of its business. Kicking off the year with concrete resolutions, the Group has asked all its affiliates globally to ensure they are not used at any Pernod Ricard events in the future, as has been the case since the run up to the holiday season.
“The drinks industry has been using them for decades and following the rebirth of cocktails there has been an explosion in their usage adorning glasses globally. A straw which is only used on average for 20 minutes can take more than 200 years to breakdown into smaller pieces and often does not fully disintegrate.”
Bacardi banned plastic straws in 2016 as part of its ‘Good Spirited: Building a Sustainable Future’ campaign.
In a statement, the company said: “As straws and stirrers are among the most collected pieces of trash in our oceans, coupled with the ten litres of water used to produce one bottle of a premium spirit, the company knows water is a critical resource for all its brands and local communities.”
Bacardi director of trade advocacy Ian McLaren said: “Plastic straws don’t biodegrade, and their use is ubiquitous across many industries, including the spirits market. We are resolved to be part of the solution, and this includes reducing the amount of waste we produce.”
