Actor Adrian Grenier's ocean advocacy nonprofit is working with the Emerald City on the campaign. (Reuters)
Though we rely on our coffees, sodas, smoothies and shakes to get us through the day, downing our favorite drinks bears ugly environmental consequences — and Seattle is hoping to do something about it.
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Every day, Americans go through about 500 million plastic straws, adding up to roughly 12 million pounds of plastic waste annually. Many of these drinkware accessories end up in the ocean. But now, a new campaign launched by actor and environmentalist Adrian Grenier’s non-profit Lonely Whale Foundation is hoping to combat ocean pollution by urging the city to combat pollution and raise awareness.
Through the month of September, over 100 businesses in Seattle are going straw-free by exchanging the plastic tubes for sustainable alternatives, reports Seattle’s Child.
“We are living during a critical turning point for our ocean, and that’s why I’m excited to celebrate the city of Seattle as a true ocean health leader,” Grenier told TreeHugger.
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Naturally, the campaign has been dubbed “Strawless in Seattle," as inspired by the hit 1993 romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
In addition to the commitment from more than 100 eateries, high profile Seattle enterprises like the NFL Seahawks and MLB Mariners as well as the Seattle Aquarium, Sea-Tac Airport and Tom Douglas’ restaurants, have committed to the cause as well.
These local Seattle businesses and venues have hopped on the bandwagon as part of the Lonely Whale Foundation’s larger Strawless Ocean global initiative, which is working to remove 500 million plastic straws from the U.S. waste stream by the end of 2017.
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And whether or not you’re a resident of the Emerald City, the Lonely Whale Foundation is urging all beverage buffs to save a sea creature, and order their next drinks sans straw.
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