Wetherspoon becomes latest chain to ban plastic straws

JD Wetherspoon has announced it will stop using plastic straws across its 900 pubs in the UK and Republic of Ireland by the end of this year.

From January 2018 the pubs will use biodegradable paper straws.

From now until the new paper straws are introduced, plastic straws will still be available on request, but will not be automatically added to drinks.

Wetherspoon follows suit from similar announcements by the Alchemist, Oakman Inns and the Liberation Group.

Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said: "These changes are part of an overall commitment from the company to reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste produced. We believe that Wetherspoon pub-goers will welcome this."

Over the past 25 years disposable straws have routinely been one of the top 10 items found on beaches around the world during the International Coastal clean-up project. More than one million seas birds and a hundred thousand marine mammals killed by plastic waste each year and marine experts fear there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050.

The Alchemist to cut down on plastic straws >>

Oakman Inns ban plastic straws >>

The Liberation Group bans plastic straws >>

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