The Last Straw

Uploaded: May 19, 2018

500 million single-use straws are used every day in the United States.

Yes. 500. Million. Each. Day.

You’ve seen social media coverage about Plastic Blob taking over our oceans? 18 billion pounds of plastic piddly end up there each year. Plastic straws make the Top Ten List, harming sea life and trashing our beaches.

Big Plastic blames us, not the straw. People don’t recycle properly, they say. Problem is straws are too small to really be incorporated into the recycling system. Effective mitigation starts with the 4 R’s.

Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
REFUSE

So hats off to the Girl Scouts going strawless this May and encouraging us all to do so. May is Drinking Straw Awareness Month in Palo Alto and Troop 60016 is rockin’ the house by encouraging local restaurants to go strawless too.

Congratulations to the restaurants who have stood up to meet the challenge and stopped serving straws in May.

• The Counter (at all nine locations: Palo Alto, San Mateo, Mountain View, San Jose, Walnut Creek, Core Madera, Fremont, Pleasanton, Cupertino)
• Dan Gordon
• Local Union 271
• NOLA
• Old Pro
• Paxti's
• Kirk's Steakburgers
• Tacolicious
• Bistro Maxine
• The Cardinal Hotel
• City Hall Cafe
• Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels
• Timothy Adams Chocolates
• Osteria Cucina Toscana
• Zola Seasonal French Cooking
• Bevri
• Cafe Brioche
• Backyard Brew
• Hobee's
• Teaspoon
• Gelataio
• Vino Enoteca
• Driftwood Deli
• Sancho's Taqueria
• California Pizza Kitchen
• Calafia
• Fast Tony's Chicken
• More coming soon

Eat here soon and say “thanks!” when you stop in. Environmental responsibility is human responsibility. In fact, the next time you order that drink, take a walk on the wild side and throw in a “No straw please.”

It just feels so good.

To learn more or become a participating restaurant, click here.

Schools can also participate in Drinking Straw Awareness Month!
Kudos to Fairmeadow, Palo Verde and Ohlone Elementary Schools and Gunn High School for participating. To request an educational poster for your PAUSD school, email karen@mightyfee.com.

Photo by 5Gyres

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