Marriott Next Major Company to Drop Plastic Straws

plastic straws phased out of Marriott hotels

Plastic straws are checking out of Marriott hotels. 

The Marriott International announced Wednesday that they would begin phasing out plastic straws and stirrers from its more than 6,500 properties and will stop offering them by next July. The hotel chain's move would eliminate more than 1 billion straws and plastic stirrers per year. 

“We are proud to be among the first large U.S. companies to announce that we’re eliminating plastic straws in our properties worldwide,” said Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International. “Removing plastic straws is one of the simplest ways our guests can contribute to plastic reduction when staying with us – something they are increasingly concerned about and are already doing in their own homes. We are committed to operating responsibly and – with over one million guests staying with us every night – we think this is a powerful step forward to reducing our reliance on plastics.”

Marriott says guests can request "alternative straws" if they need one.

The plastic straw initiative by Marriott comes as several companies across the service industry have begun phasing out single-use plastics. Earlier this month, Starbucks announced they would no longer use plastic straws at its more than 28,000 stores by 2020. The company says they developed a plastic, strawless lid that should work for its customers. 

McDonald's says they plan on eliminated plastic straws at their 1,300 restaurants in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Straws will also be replaced on Alaska Airlines flights with "sustainable, marine-friendly alternatives." 

McDonald's and Starbucks have even joined together in a partnership to create a recyclable and/or compostable cup that would help cut down on waste.

 Photo: Getty Images


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content