News Disney removing plastic straws and more by mid-2019

[zero creativity]

Are the plastic utensils biodegradable? If not I would imagine that this would be a big place to cut down on plastic waste.

 

[DisneyLover]

Are the plastic utensils biodegradable? If not I would imagine that this would be a big place to cut down on plastic waste.

True, but then what would they use?

 

[yaksplat]

Are the plastic utensils biodegradable? If not I would imagine that this would be a big place to cut down on plastic waste.

Why stop there? Ban diapers too.

 

[peter11435]

So, they aren't getting rid of Magic Bands, right? They seem "unnecessary". Room keys were made of metals. People only dispose of a credit card once every 3 years or so. Fastpasses were already made from paper. Why the straws, but not Magic Bands? Hmmmm...

Everything is unnecessary if you try hard enough.

Comparing the usefulness of Magicbands to a straw is silly. Regardless Disney has a recycling plan in place for Magicbands and options to avoid ordering new ones with each new booking.

 

[Gitson Shiggles]

No plastic shopping bags is more justification for STROLLERS!

 

[Gitson Shiggles]

Are the plastic utensils biodegradable? If not I would imagine that this would be a big place to cut down on plastic waste.

We’d all be forked.

 

[Rodan75]

Paper straws. They work just fine.

The new Paper Straws are actually really good. Not like the old days when they collapsed the second they got wet.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Skip the bags, have it shipped to your resort. I'm sure you will magically have bags when you pick it up.

What about those who aren't staying on site?

 

[Zipadeelady]

Love this! It's a start and someone has to start somewhere.

And if your having that much of an issue about your precious straw then maybe it's time to learn how to drink like an adult.

 

[Gitson Shiggles]

Anyone else hate the feel of drinking through a paper straw? Or is it just me?

Not as bad as a metal straw, but I digress.

 

[skyphotographer]

I hate paper straws.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

I don't like sand.

Wait...wrong thread.

 

[Master Yoda]

You would think they would go paper, but at my local Disney store it's a $.69 tote bag or nothing. (They stopped giving plastic bags at the begining ov July, saying "Disney is going Green") It just comes off as a money grab and not an environmental help. Other stores that dont use plastic at least use paper and dont make you buy something to take your PURCHASE home.

Dont get me wrong I am cool with limiting plastics and having paperstraws, but let me ask this, if we take all the plastic out and start consuming more paper products wont we have a bigger deforestation/death of the rain forest issues...

Paper typically comes from farmed lumber so it is not all that different from cory, soybeans or any other crop.

 

[monothingie]

When Disney gets rids of the plastic drink bottles, plastic ponchos, plastic food containers, plastic merchandise wrapping materials, and any other mass distributed plastic item (that they use or sell to generate revenues) and swap it out for an environmentally friendly (and more expensive) alternative then they are making a difference.

All they are doing right now is using the social media outrage over the evils of plastic straws to save on their operating budget by no longer having to buy plastic straws.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

When Disney gets rids of the plastic drink bottles, plastic ponchos, plastic food containers, plastic merchandise wrapping materials, and any other mass distributed plastic item (that makes they use or sell to generate revenues) and swaps it out for an environmentally friendly alternative then they are making a difference.

All they are doing right now is using the social media outrage over the evils of plastic straws to save on their operating budget by no longer having to buy plastic straws.

In other words, it's trending. So they must trend with the trendsetters.

 

[dreamfinder]

Are the plastic utensils biodegradable? If not I would imagine that this would be a big place to cut down on plastic waste.

Can't speak specifically to their current utensils of choice, but yes there are several brands of utensils that are biodegradable. And if not, I'd be shocked if WDW doesn't recycle the ones they currently use, they have an impressive in house recycling program.

Straws are a baby step, or low hanging fruit.

 

[peter11435]

All they are doing right now is using the social media outrage over the evils of plastic straws to save on their operating budget by no longer having to buy plastic straws.

By instead ordering more expensive paper straws?

 

[rnese]

Everything is unnecessary if you try hard enough.

Comparing the usefulness of Magicbands to a straw is silly. Regardless Disney has a recycling plan in place for Magicbands and options to avoid ordering new ones with each new booking.

"Everything is unnecessary if you try hard enough." May I apply that standard to your attitude towards straws?

"Comparing the usefulness of Magicbands to a straws is silly." Seems subjective. Disney survived and thrived for decades without Magicbands. I recall everything being fine at Disney when it had straws and no Magicbands.

Look, we could go back and forth with this all day. It's a subjective argument. But the fact of the matter is, this is nothing but a PR stunt in response to a report (based on a fourth-graders report) that the media decided it was going to make the trendy cause.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I have a fear that Disney will start selling cloth shopping bags for about 15 bucks a pop. The more you buy in store, means the more you have to carry. Thus, you have to purchase more cloth shopping bags...

They have rolled them out at the start of ths year...They put them by their registers and they go for $6. And I do recall seeing this one in the parks..https://www.shopdisney.com/mickey-mouse-compass-reusable-tote-walt-disney-world-1463921

 

[monothingie]

By instead ordering more expensive paper straws?

There was no official mention of paper straws being used as replacements. It was only speculation in this thread that suggested it.