News Disney removing plastic straws and more by mid-2019

[ninjaprincesst]

It's all just a publicity stunt that will help nothing. Paper straws get soggy and are not practical for disabled people or small children so people will have to bring plastic straws with them, the plastic stirrers will have to be replaced with wooden ones, thus killing trees, and the dispensers for toiletries in the rooms are first of all cheap , a 400 a night room with motel 6 extras , and second ewww gross, so people are going to have to bring their own and when flying are now going to have to put every single item in their suitcase in a ziplock to protect from spills thanks to the TSA not returning toiletries to their ziplock bags so there is a ton more plastic use than just a straw.

 

[Lensman]

It's all just a publicity stunt that will help nothing. Paper straws get soggy and are not practical for disabled people or small children so people will have to bring plastic straws with them, the plastic stirrers will have to be replaced with wooden ones, thus killing trees, and the dispensers for toiletries in the rooms are first of all cheap , a 400 a night room with motel 6 extras , and second ewww gross, so people are going to have to bring there own and when flying are now going to have to put every single item in their suitcase in a ziplock to protect from spills thanks to the TSA not returning toiletries to their ziplock bags so there is a ton more plastic use than just a straw.

I counted. For the record, there are two sentences in that paragraph, not one.

No offense intended. Just my annual grammar post.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Quoted from https://www.bustle.com/p/disney-wil...-other-environmentally-friendly-steps-9912090:

As Morgan Sung writing for Mashable noted, Disney's original statement did not include a mention of a plastic straw replacement for disabled visitors. In a statement to Bustle, Stephanie Christine Corzett, Disney's director of external communications and media relations, says that "meeting the needs of guests with disabilities is extremely important to us." Corzett added, "We are involved in discussions to identify and develop accessible, alternative options for those who need them. Alternative straw options will be provided as necessary for our guests unable to utilize paper straws." Corzett also noted that "Disney's Services for Guests with Disabilities team would be available before and during visits to 'accommodate guests with specific needs.'"

Mmmhmmm. At a cost.

It's all just a publicity stunt that will help nothing. Paper straws get soggy and are not practical for disabled people or small children so people will have to bring plastic straws with them, the plastic stirrers will have to be replaced with wooden ones, thus killing trees, and the dispensers for toiletries in the rooms are first of all cheap , a 400 a night room with motel 6 extras , and second ewww gross, so people are going to have to bring there own and when flying are now going to have to put every single item in their suitcase in a ziplock to protect from spills thanks to the TSA not returning toiletries to their ziplock bags so there is a ton more plastic use than just a straw.

I think you are imagining this being FAR more dramatic than it will actually be. 0.5% of people will mitch and boan for the next year, most people will not give two schnitzels over the change and we will reach the new normal by January 2020.

 

[John park hopper]

Win Win for Disney 1. great PR- saving the environment 2. Less trash- less disposal cost 3. cost saving- they don't have to buy straws and will still charge the same for a straw less drink.

 

[LittleBuford]

Mmmhmmm. At a cost.

How do you know that? My understanding was that Disney has an excellent record when it comes to disabled guests.

 

[Lensman]

Mmmhmmm. At a cost.

What do you mean? I would have thought that charging more for the disabled service would be illegal?

 

[ToTBellHop]

What do you mean? I would have thought that charging more for the disabled service would be illegal?

Of course it isn't. You don't legally have to provide everything that a disabled person needs for free. Some people struggle to hold open soda cups at DAK, too, but they don't provide the lidded souvenir cups to them for free.

You keep reusable plastic straws and charge people for them. Obviously, they won't be free to people with a doctor's note.

And the families of those with disabilities would disagree over the "excellent record when it comes to disabled guests."

 

[ninjaprincesst]

I also used there instead of their (now fixed).

 

[LittleBuford]

Of course it isn't. You don't legally have to provide everything that a disabled person needs for free. Some people struggle to hold open soda cups at DAK, too, but they don't provide the lidded souvenir cups to them for free.

You keep reusable plastic straws and charge people for them. Obviously, they won't be free to people with a doctor's note.

And the families of those with disabilities would disagree over the "excellent record when it comes to disabled guests."

A few posts back, you said with certainty that plastic straws wouldn’t be provided at all. Now you’re saying with certainty that they will be charged for. In other words, you’re just making stuff up.

 

[ToTBellHop]

A few posts back, you said with certainty that plastic straws wouldn’t be provided at all. Now you’re saying with certainty that they will be charged for. In other words, you’re just making stuff up.

Reusable plastic straws. You know, Mickey straws. Like I said in my first post. Reusable plastic straws and disposable plastic straws are not the same thing.

But, I am known for making things up, of course.

 

[LittleBuford]

Reusable plastic straws. You know, Mickey straws. Like I said in my first post. Reusable plastic straws and disposable plastic straws are not the same thing.

But, I am known for making things up, of course.

You're still just assuming the worst based on nothing.

The fact that Animal Kingdom has had this policy for years without any backlash from disabled guests is, I think, telling.

 

[s8film40]

There is no reason to think that Disney won't make provisions and exceptions for those who cannot use paper straws.

And yes, it will cut down on plastic use.

And that's the thing that makes the outrage and fear over losing plastic straws amongst those that use them unwarranted. Since Disney can't and won't ask about disabilities they will simply hand out plastic straws to anyone who asks. Everyone will eventually figure this out and know they need to just ask if they want them.

 

[Lensman]

Of course it isn't. You don't legally have to provide everything that a disabled person needs for free.

But you do have to provide equal access, right? I mean they can't specifically charge more for an ADA room or for bus access, right?

So are you saying that you think Disney will charge for ADA straws if they legally can?

I'd bet that they don't, even if they could. It's the kind of thing where they'd get millions of dollars in negative publicity in an effort to save a penny a straw.

 

[LittleBuford]

And that's the thing that makes the outrage and fear over losing plastic straws amongst those that use them unwarranted. Since Disney can't and won't ask about disabilities they will simply hand out plastic straws to anyone who asks. Everyone will eventually figure this out and know they need to just ask if they want them.

Then all of you who are objecting to this should be happy, because you'll still be able to get your plastic straws by pretending to need them. In the meantime, most people won't care, and the policy will still end up reducing the overall use of plastic. No-one loses and everyone can just go on with their lives.

 

[lazyboy97o]

But you do have to provide equal access, right? I mean they can't specifically charge more for an ADA room or for bus access, right?

So are you saying that you think Disney will charge for ADA straws if they legally can?

I'd bet that they don't, even if they could. It's the kind of thing where they'd get millions of dollars in negative publicity in an effort to save a penny a straw.

They wouldn’t be “ADA Straws,” just reusable straws as already sold. People could still also bring their own straws that better suit their needs. It’s amazing all of these hypotheticals that ignore the existing, 20 year old practices that already occur at Walt Disney World.

 

[s8film40]

Then all of you who are objecting to this should be happy, because you'll still be able to get your plastic straws by pretending to need them. In the meantime, most people won't care, and the policy will still end up reducing the overall use of plastic. No-one loses and everyone can just go on with their lives.

My objection to this is that the whole thing is just silly. Yes of course you can say something is better than nothing, but the truth is this whole thing is pretty close to nothing. I don't personally use straws. I'm also not a huge environmentalist, but I hate seeing waste. What I don't like is that Disney uses this as an out when the reality is they produce phenomenal amounts of waste. They get to look like the good guy's because they save some tiny stupid plastic straws while filling countless dumpsters on an hourly basis. So it becomes a little hypocritical for them to implement this when there are so many other better things they could do.

As an example I was at Ikea yesterday. Of course they're known for their environmental practices. I was thinking about this while I ate in the cafe. Every single item comes on washable reusable dishware. The only trash that's created is food waste and paper napkins. They don't even have trash cans. When you walk by the tray returns it becomes abundantly clear just how much waste they manage to reduce. Guess what, they still offer plastic straws with their disposable cups at the food counter on the way out. The difference is reducing waste for them isn't just about following a trend it's what they do. There's no reason why Disney couldn't do this. That's my problem with this straw thing is it just gives companies an easy way to say they're doing something while in reality they are actively still doing other things they could just as easily stop doing and with even less public backlash.

 

[LittleBuford]

My objection to this is that the whole thing is just silly. Yes of course you can say something is better than nothing, but the truth is this whole thing is pretty close to nothing. I don't personally use straws. I'm also not a huge environmentalist, but I hate seeing waste. What I don't like is that Disney uses this as an out when the reality is they produce phenomenal amounts of waste. They get to look like the good guy's because they save some tiny stupid plastic straws while filling countless dumpsters on an hourly basis. So it becomes a little hypocritical for them to implement this when there are so many other better things they could do.

As an example I was at Ikea yesterday. Of course they're known for their environmental practices. I was thinking about this while I ate in the cafe. Every single item comes on washable reusable dishware. The only trash that's created is food waste and paper napkins. They don't even have trash cans. When you walk by the tray returns it becomes abundantly clear just how much waste they manage to reduce. Guess what, they still offer plastic straws with their disposable cups at the food counter on the way out. The difference is reducing waste for them isn't just about following a trend it's what they do. There's no reason why Disney couldn't do this. That's my problem with this straw thing is it just gives companies an easy way to say they're doing something while in reality they are actively still doing other things they could just as easily stop doing and with even less public backlash.

It is not silly. There are plenty of articles online explaining why such straw bans are happening and why they matter (I provided a link to one article several pages back). If you're just going to dismiss the move out of hand, there's really no point continuing this conversation.

 

[Lensman]

My objection to this is that the whole thing is just silly. Yes of course you can say something is better than nothing, but the truth is this whole thing is pretty close to nothing. I don't personally use straws. I'm also not a huge environmentalist, but I hate seeing waste. What I don't like is that Disney uses this as an out when the reality is they produce phenomenal amounts of waste. They get to look like the good guy's because they save some tiny stupid plastic straws while filling countless dumpsters on an hourly basis. So it becomes a little hypocritical for them to implement this when there are so many other better things they could do.

As an example I was at Ikea yesterday. Of course they're known for their environmental practices. I was thinking about this while I ate in the cafe. Every single item comes on washable reusable dishware. The only trash that's created is food waste and paper napkins. They don't even have trash cans. When you walk by the tray returns it becomes abundantly clear just how much waste they manage to reduce. Guess what, they still offer plastic straws with their disposable cups at the food counter on the way out. The difference is reducing waste for them isn't just about following a trend it's what they do. There's no reason why Disney couldn't do this. That's my problem with this straw thing is it just gives companies an easy way to say they're doing something while in reality they are actively still doing other things they could just as easily stop doing and with even less public backlash.

It is not silly. There are plenty of articles online explaining what such straw bans are happening and why they matter (I provided a link to one article several pages back). If you're just going to dismiss the move out of hand, there's really no point continuing this conservation.

I agree that it's not silly, but I also see what @s8film40 is saying about how it's not the most impactful policy. Given that most QS meals are actually eaten on-premise, it would be really great if they could shift to using reusable tableware and flatware. Then they could do the same as Ikea with busing whole trays. This would enable them to compost more easily as well since they wouldn't have to separate it out of the waste stream.

I'd view it as a real plus not only for environmental reasons, but because I hate eating on or with plastic. Meals served on real tableware is just much more pleasant to me.

 

[s8film40]

It is not silly. There are plenty of articles online explaining what such straw bans are happening and why they matter (I provided a link to one article several pages back). If you're just going to dismiss the move out of hand, there's really no point continuing this conservation.

You totally missed my point and don't understand how companies work. A company like Disney is going to continuously implement better environmental practices. Not because they think it's right or because they feel they should do good things. It's about positive PR and giving the impression they're helping the environment to maintain a positive impression of their brand. So because of this recent eliminating straws fad they were able to do this and get the same mileage out of it as opposed to doing something more substantial and of course costly. So I'm not saying taking away straws is in itself bad, the problem is it becomes an alternative to more meaningful changes. They don't deserve credit for doing a good thing here they should be called out for the massive amounts of plastic plates, utensil, bags etc. they still use but could just as easily as straws remove.

 

[LittleBuford]

I agree that it's not silly, but I also see what @s8film40 is saying about how it's not the most impactful policy. Given that most QS meals are actually eaten on-premise, it would be really great if they could shift to using reusable tableware and flatware. Then they could do the same as Ikea with busing whole trays. This would enable them to compost more easily as well since they wouldn't have to separate it out of the waste stream.

I'd view it as a real plus not only for environmental reasons, but because I hate eating on or with plastic. Meals served on real tableware is just much more pleasant to me.

You totally missed my point and don't understand how companies work. A company like Disney is going to continuously implement better environmental practices. Not because they think it's right or because they feel they should do good things. It's about positive PR and giving the impression they're helping the environment to maintain a positive impression of their brand. So because of this recent eliminating straws fad they were able to do this and get the same mileage out of it as opposed to doing something more substantial and of course costly. So I'm not saying taking away straws is in itself bad, the problem is it becomes an alternative to more meaningful changes. They don't deserve credit for doing a good thing here they should be called out for the massive amounts of plastic plates, utensil, bags etc. they still use but could just as easily as straws remove.

Yes, they could and should be doing more. But the idea that the straw ban will somehow buy Disney goodwill and thereby excuse them from having to undertake more substantial measures is groundless. On the contrary (and as this thread proves), it only serves to focus greater attention on their environmental record.