News Disney removing plastic straws and more by mid-2019

[LittleBuford]

While I fully agree in that I also have never heard of a single complaint, keep in mind a TON of people refuse to use them. By putting these in, especially the business-style hotels, has either further encouraged bringing your own or converted travelers to bringing their own. I travel for a living and know of not a single business traveler that would touch these. With regard to the lock, it’s meaningless. The way these pumps work, you simply press the pump down, and as it travels back up it will suck anything that is in the opening. Try it with your own shampoo bottle pump. Press some into your hand and before letting it back up, hold the end in your hand and the shampoo will go right back in the bottle. And not to be gross but... just use your imagination as to how easily anything can be added to these bottles.

Again, I agree that there are few if any complaints. But these numbers may be slanted because of the number of people actually using them (or not using them). IMO, this, like the plastic lids and straws, is a cost cutting measure and nothing more. Ironically, I have zero issue with either as I bring my own shampoo regardless and have been able to handle lidless cups for years lol

I don’t understand this line of thinking when all of us are apparently willing to use shared soap dispensers in public bathrooms.

 

[Gitson Shiggles]

I don’t understand this line of thinking when all of us are apparently willing to use shared soap dispensers in public bathrooms.

I’ve seen plenty of fellow men not use the soap dispensers at all in restrooms.

 

[larryz]

I don’t understand this line of thinking when all of us are apparently willing to use shared soap dispensers in public bathrooms.

...to wash our HANDS... not our hair and privates...

 

[LittleBuford]

...to wash our HANDS... not our hair and privates...

You make it sound as if the cleanliness and well-being of our hands matter less than those of our genitalia.

 

[OSX]

The paper straws feel kinda weird in the mouth. But if it's to help the enviroment I'm down for it.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The paper straws feel kinda weird in the mouth. But if it's to help the enviroment I'm down for it.

It's like drinking out of the milk carton.

 

[OSX]

It's like drinking out of the milk carton.

 

[LittleBuford]

Not a true statement.

Can you explain why the statement is untrue?

 

[Nubs70]

Can you explain why the statement is untrue?

Just because things are made from paper does not mean it is better for the environment or yourself.

Paper straws will, at a minimum, need to be treated with size. Size is essentially wax derived from pa!m oil. This will give the straw some liquid repellant properties.

Next is wet strength. As the name implies, this treatment gives the paper the ability to withstand liquid. This the reason paper towels do not disintegrate when wet.

The ultimate agent is polyfluorocarbons. These are very good at repelling liquids but are nasty. Google PFAS and PFOS.

 

[LittleBuford]

Just because things are made from paper does not mean it is better for the environment or yourself.

Paper straws will, at a minimum, need to be treated with size. Size is essentially wax derived from pa!m oil. This will give the straw some liquid repellant properties.

Next is wet strength. As the name implies, this treatment gives the paper the ability to withstand liquid. This the reason paper towels do not disintegrate when wet.

The ultimate agent is polyfluorocarbons. These are very good at repelling liquids but are nasty. Google PFAS and PFOS.

Thank you for this information. It is, as you say, important to note that paper products aren't a simple cure-all. But I think we can all agree that paper straws, whatever their shortcomings, are still better for the environment than plastic ones.

 

[Lensman]

I don’t understand this line of thinking when all of us are apparently willing to use shared soap dispensers in public bathrooms.

Maybe people are just less worried about the loss of hair on the back of their knuckles? My wife would certainly not complain if I were to mysteriously become less hairy.

The more sensible answer is that it's just what people are used to. After a while, people will become more comfortable with these dispensers and complaints and paranoia will die down - especially if a worldwide depilatory pandemic doesn't result.

 

[Nubs70]

Thank you for this information. It is, as you say, important to note that paper products aren't a simple cure-all. But I think we can all agree that paper straws, whatever their shortcomings, are still better for the environment than plastic ones.

Read up on the current state of PFOS and PFAS Back when fast food transitioned from plastic clamshell to environmentally friendly paper, the paper was treated with PFAS or one of its close cousins.

PFAS is a polyfluoronated class of chemical that gives paper the ability to repel oil/grease and allow water vapor to pass through. Does it sound like ScotchGuard? Yes, because it is.

If you have eaten fast food, pizza, or a muffin from one of those cute little wrappers, you have some level of PFAS in you.

 

[LittleBuford]

no, we do not all agree that paper is better than plastic for the environment. The arguments and "facts" I have seen leave out environmental impact in the production of paper straws.

If you have actual facts and figures that show the environmental impact of paper straws to be worse, by all means share them with the rest of us.

 

[LittleBuford]

Read up on the current state of PFOS and PFAS Back when fast food transitioned from plastic clamshell to environmentally friendly paper, the paper was treated with PFAS or one of its close cousins.

PFAS is a polyfluoronated class of chemical that gives paper the ability to repel oil/grease and allow water vapor to pass through. Does it sound like ScotchGuard? Yes, because it is.

If you have eaten fast food, pizza, or a muffin from one of those cute little wrappers, you have some level of PFAS in you.

I can’t find any information online to show that PFAS is used to treat paper straws. Interestingly, San Francisco introduced a PFAS ban alongside a plastic straw ban: https://earther.gizmodo.com/this-latest-straw-ban-also-comes-with-a-ban-on-toxic-fo-1827926215

 

[larryz]

You make it sound as if the cleanliness and well-being of our hands matter less than those of our genitalia.

Both are important, but I believe most people are taught that their HANDS (and not other body parts) are their primary physical interface with the rest of the world. Thus, one should expect to expose and wash them considerably more often, and more publicly, than their... let's say "other parts."

And, yes, I know there are some who are just as likely to use their "other parts" for that role...

 

[larryz]

It's like drinking out of the milk carton.

Ultimately, it's like stuffing a cotton ball into the spaces between your teeth...

 

[LittleBuford]

Both are important, but I believe most people are taught that their HANDS (and not other body parts) are their primary physical interface with the rest of the world. Thus, one should expect to expose and wash them considerably more often, and more publicly, than their... let's say "other parts."

And, yes, I know there are some who are just as likely to use their "other parts" for that role...

I’m all the more confused. If, as you say, our hands should be cleaned often (I agree!), and if we’re willing to trust soap dispensers when cleaning them, then we should be entirely comfortable using similar dispensers to wash the rest of our bodies. I may have misunderstood what you’re saying.

 

[larryz]

I’m all the more confused. If, as you say, our hands should be cleaned often, and if we’re willing to trust soap dispensers when cleaning them, then we should be entirely comfortable using similar dispensers to wash the rest of our bodies. I may have misunderstood what you’re saying.

It goes with the nature of our hands evolving as primary touch engines that should there be some untoward agent surreptitiously infiltrated into a public soap dispenser, the potential damage (depending entirely, of course, on the nature of the agent) would be significantly less dangerous than if one were smearing that same agent on one's "other parts," hair or face. Examples:

Also consider that the population granted access to your private, in-room soap dispenser will be considerably smaller than that allowed access to the soap dispensers in public restrooms. The risk is commensurately lower as well.

 

[LittleBuford]

It goes with the nature of our hands evolving as primary touch engines that should there be some untoward agent surreptitiously infiltrated into a public soap dispenser, the potential damage (depending entirely, of course, on the nature of the agent) would be significantly less dangerous than if one were smearing that same agent on one's "other parts," hair or face. Examples:
View attachment 314386

Also consider that the population granted access to your private, in-room soap dispenser will be considerably smaller than that allowed access to the soap dispensers in public restrooms. The risk is commensurately lower as well.

I think I see what you’re saying now. Still, I won’t be bringing my own shampoos or soaps with me.

 

[DisneyCane]

Since there is too much in this thread to quickly find the answer (the soap dispensers should have their own thread), has it been determined if Disney is getting rid of straws, period or replacing plastic straws with paper straws? If they are replacing them with paper, why can't they just replace them with bioplastic (biodegradable/compostable) straws? These seem to be available for under 4 cents each. Can't they just switch to these and raise the drink prices by 5 cents to cover the cost (and make some profit since the old straws weren't free to them)?

Tijuana Flats uses Styrofoam cups that are 92% biodegradable. Those are the types of "green" initiatives that we should be striving for. Initiatives that don't reduce quality of life, have negligible increased cost and provide and significantly reduce environmental impact.