The last straw: banning the sale of plastic straws

Subject to a consultation to be held later this year, the Government announced in April its intention to ban the sale of plastic straws and drink stirrers. Such a ban is expected to be followed by further similar bans, in a movement described by the Environment Secretary as “turning the tide on plastic”.  With large hospitality groups such as D&D London already announcing plans to cut down their plastic use, it is increasingly important for companies to review their own environmental impact.

Changing suppliers can already be costly and time-consuming and if the proposed laws are brought into place, the increased demand for plastic-free alternatives will be likely to worsen these issues. Thinking ahead and switching to alternatives will not only appeal to the growing environmentally-conscious consumer base, but may well save money in the long term. It seems that the time has come for companies to explore and implement their own forward-thinking environmental policies.