News Disney removing plastic straws and more by mid-2019

[Lets Respect]

Can you provide video or picture of just handfuls of plastic bags being shoved into guests' hands, please? Thanks a bunch!

Every kid at the Kidcot stops will get a plastic bag now. It used to be paper

 

[bunnyman]

Up in NY they already have a ban on plastic bags in several counties. If you want one or more, you pay 5 cents. If you go to the warehouse stores like Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club, they have no bags (plastic or paper) either. Also, Ikea hasn't had bags for years.

 

[Admiral01]

This is a very positive move by Disney. Having seen the autopsied stomachs of whales and other marine animals, loaded with plastic straws and bags, this is a no brained and needs to go society-wide.

 

[aladdin2007]

If WDW stops using plastic bags for their merch purchased at their gift shops-what is going to happen when you purchase items at the parks, and have them delivered to the parcel pick-up at your resort? Those items are always in plastic bags when you pick them up. Are they going to be charging extra because they have to use the more expensive reusable bags?

wondering same

 

[allymonkey]

Paper straws suck. They do.

Technically don't all straws suck? That is their function after all.

 

[ABQ]

wondering same

The one benefit I get from the plastic bags at the merch shops is they ability to deal with rain better than most reusable bags. They'd also have to find a better solution for merchandise being sent back to a resort, as now they throw 342323927 staples through the bag to secure it and attached the stupid large green receipt.

 

[aladdin2007]

The one benefit I get from the plastic bags at the merch shops is they ability to deal with rain better than most reusable bags. They'd also have to find a better solution for merchandise being sent back to a resort, as now they throw 342323927 staples through the bag to secure it and attached the stupid large green receipt.

agree, not only that but if your just there for the day and buying stuff here and there all day, they cant send you out with nothing to put it in.

 

[DisneyCane]

Can't you do your own research? The whole "show me facts and figures that support your claim" is a fallacy technique I see often in the Breitbart handbook of arguing. Google it?

Nah? ok, well I have read numerous places Americans use 500 million straws a day. If you don't think that is impacting the environment, maybe go take a cruise to the Pacific garbage patch? Or let me dump 500 million straws on your lawn and see how it affects you?

First of all, when you want to ban something (which is what this movement is about, banning plastic straws), it is on you to prove why it is necessary. Maybe you should do some research. First, that 500 million straws a day number was essentially made up by a nine year old. This was the subject of a USA Today article not long ago (USA Today is far from Breitbart).

As stated in my earlier post, Americans using plastic straws and the pacific garbage patch have nothing to do with each other. EPA regulations do not allow ocean dumping of plastic and haven't since 1972. My lawn is not a landfill. We are not running out of land for land fills and the contribution of plastic straws is negligible to the overall volume of landfill.

As far as Bush Gardens and Animal Kingdom not using plastic straws/lids, that is because littering them in an animal's environment can harm the animal. Throwing a straw in a trash can which is collected and brought to a landfill is not adversely effecting wildlife or "impacting the environment." Somebody littering at Epcot where the litter is cleaned up relatively quickly and disposed of will also not impact wildlife or the environment.

If you don't want to contribute to the impending Armageddon caused by using plastic straws then decline them and don't use them. If Disney wants to stop using them and pretend it is for some altruistic environmental reason then that is their right. I can't force them to provide them but I can elect not to purchase a drink that won't be served with a straw. My problem is a social media movement based on the academic work of a 4th grader and a bunch of meaningless platitudes that aims to deny me the right to use a plastic straw if I want to.

 

[Zipadeelady]

My friend's 18 year old daughter has cerebral palsy. Needs a straw. Tough for her to "drink like an adult". Now, I know you didn't mean any ill will towards someone in her situation, but the attitude that people who like to drink from straws, sorry, "precious" straws, need to learn to drink like adults is very intolerant, don't you think?

If she was my daughter I would make sure that I always carried a non disposable straw so that I knew I always had one on hand, but thats me. And of course I don't mean ill for someone in that situation. It's not a bad attitude, it's looking at the greater good and knowing that drinking out of a cup and not having a straw at one of the biggest tourist populated area could help reduce the trash that we produce is pretty awesome in my opinion.

 

[Clopin Trouillefou]

This is outstanding! Animal kingdom has used the bio-degradable paper straws since it opened and it's high time elsewhere followed suit. what good news.

 

[Texas84]

Getting back to the country comparisons... do you know why the U.S. dumps *relatively* little plastic into the ocean *compared to* those Asian countries? It's precisely because of efforts to *manage* our plastic garbage through reduction in use, re-use in recycling, and disposing in landfills rather than the ocean. It's because of efforts like McDonald's using recycled paper and paper board and all the other stuff like switching to papers straws that we don't have as much plastic garbage to dump in the ocean as the Philippines. Or do you think that somehow the Philippines are producing ten times the amount of garbage overall than the U.S.? Nobody beats our consumption!!

It's not our low consumption that makes us relatively light polluters of the ocean, it's our efforts to manage plastic waste effectively. If we weren't doing all this environmental 'stuff' like switching to paper, we'd be right up there with China.

Well, that is all somewhat true. We also ship some of our waste plastic to China so they can dump it in the ocean for us. Unintended consequences of feel-good-ism.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

First of all, when you want to ban something (which is what this movement is about, banning plastic straws), it is on you to prove why it is necessary. Maybe you should do some research. First, that 500 million straws a day number was essentially made up by a nine year old. This was the subject of a USA Today article not long ago (USA Today is far from Breitbart).

As stated in my earlier post, Americans using plastic straws and the pacific garbage patch have nothing to do with each other. EPA regulations do not allow ocean dumping of plastic and haven't since 1972. My lawn is not a landfill. We are not running out of land for land fills and the contribution of plastic straws is negligible to the overall volume of landfill.

As far as Bush Gardens and Animal Kingdom not using plastic straws/lids, that is because littering them in an animal's environment can harm the animal. Throwing a straw in a trash can which is collected and brought to a landfill is not adversely effecting wildlife or "impacting the environment." Somebody littering at Epcot where the litter is cleaned up relatively quickly and disposed of will also not impact wildlife or the environment.

If you don't want to contribute to the impending Armageddon caused by using plastic straws then decline them and don't use them. If Disney wants to stop using them and pretend it is for some altruistic environmental reason then that is their right. I can't force them to provide them but I can elect not to purchase a drink that won't be served with a straw. My problem is a social media movement based on the academic work of a 4th grader and a bunch of meaningless platitudes that aims to deny me the right to use a plastic straw if I want to.

The problem with your whole argument is assuming that it all goes into a landfill. Not even close to being true. If it did maybe they might be less of a uproar. The oceans are our friend and we are absolutely destroying it. Scientists agree on that point.

 

[rnese]

Things change. Our parents and grandparents probably witnessed segregation first hand and probably accepted it as normal just because 'it was the way things were'. 25 years from now (hopefully) people will probably be shocked at just how many disposable items we used that were not biodegradable. It's just progress. Some day, grandma will play video games on a bad VR headset with Sega Genesis graphics! Take that you Nincompoop!

You may be right. I'm sure there were many who thought segregation was "making progress" back in the day. Years from now, society will most likely look poorly upon those who call others a "Nincompoop" as well. Now, don't allow straws to trigger you. I know they're scary.

 

[ChrisFL]

I remember using paper straws at Sea World or Busch Gardens 30 years ago and I think they're better quality now and I agree that we need to make a change. It's just a strange juxtaposition with the new ziploc sponsorship.

 

[DisneyCane]

The problem with your whole argument is assuming that it all goes into a landfill. Not even close to being true. If it did maybe they might be less of a uproar. The oceans are our friend and we are absolutely destroying it. Scientists agree on that point.

Does anybody even read what I post before telling me it is wrong? The USA does not dump plastic into the oceans and hasn't since 1972. I'm not making this up. This is on the EPA's website:

"In October 1972, Congress enacted the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), sometimes referred to as the Ocean Dumping Act, declaring that it is the policy of the United States to regulate the dumping of all materials which would adversely affect human health, welfare or amenities, or the marine environment, ecological systems or economic potentialities.

What materials cannot be dumped in the ocean?
The MPRSA and EPA’s ocean dumping regulations prohibit ocean dumping of certain materials, such as:

persistent inert synthetic or natural materials which may float or remain in suspension in the ocean in such a manner that they may interfere materially with fishing navigation or other legitimate uses of the ocean;"

Plastic is an inert synthetic material which may float or remain in suspension in the ocean. Therefore, the USA is prohibited from dumping it in the ocean. Plastic straws which are placed in a trash receptacle in the United States of America WILL NOT end up in the ocean.

 

[Zipadeelady]

Why do you "love this?" It's a start of what exactly? Please explain to me exactly how plastic straws used and disposed of in the USA are harming the environment. Don't just give platitudes about having less impact on the environment. Quantify it exactly and show me why giving up a modern convenience is worth it. Tell me what it actually means. When I use a straw, what harm is coming from it?

If you think we are somehow running out of landfill space then your concept of land area is greatly flawed. Even if we were, straws make up an insanely tiny percentage of the volume of waste in a landfill.

This whole issue illustrates the greatest problem with the social media society we have become. Somebody comes up with something that "sounds good" and it becomes a trend and de-facto national policy because it's easy to promote in character limited tweets. Nobody who is "for" the issue really knows the details of what they are in favor of. It just "sounds good" and "saves the environment."

I love this because I'm a tree hugger and for a company as big as Disney to do something for the environment, no matter how small, then other companies are going to take notice and possibly also do more for the environment and I won't have to see articles about whales dying from 10lbs of plastic bags in their stomach or as some said earlier a trash island as big as Texas floating in the ocean. Do I have statistics... NO. Do I know everything about recycling... No. Do I believe everything posted on the internet... No, but I do know that we can always do better to help out the environment.

 

[DisneyKid239]

You guys also do realize that by them eliminating plastics also helping the beaches too right? Like think of any pool/beach/ocean are you really gonna want to swim in it, if someone's plastic was in it or if an animal or someone got hurt because of the plastic. Like yes they can still keep straws for people who needs them and stuff but if you don't need them why use them or at least get charged 10 cents or whatever they do in certain states. They are trying to make an effort

 

[DisneyCane]

I love this because I'm a tree hugger and for a company as big as Disney to do something for the environment, no matter how small, then other companies are going to take notice and possibly also do more for the environment and I won't have to see articles about whales dying from 10lbs of plastic bags in their stomach or as some said earlier a trash island as big as Texas floating in the ocean. Do I have statistics... NO. Do I know everything about recycling... No. Do I believe everything posted on the internet... No, but I do know that we can always do better to help out the environment.

I respect your right to be a tree hugger. However, as posted above in response to somebody else, the USA has banned dumping plastic (bags, straws, anything plastic) in the ocean since 1972. Your straw or plastic bag will not end up in a whale's stomach if you place it in a trash receptacle in the USA.

 

[Tom P.]

One day, the Carousel of Progress will be updated and we will laugh at how Uncle Orville, the old racist, carelessly threw shopping bags in the trash while his millennial great-nephew rolls his eyes with remarkable believability due to advances in Audio-Animatronics figures. They are currently working on making a believable man-bun for him.

The most unbelievable thing about your post? Disney updating the last scene of Carousel of Progress...

 

[rnese]

Everyone knows that Walt's original name EPCOT was actually "EPCOTSS" Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow Sans Straws.