DELAWARE LEGISLATURE TAKES ACTION ON STRAWS

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March 27, 2019 Delaware's House & Senate pass House Concurrent Resolution 17

HCR17 recognizes the issues of plastic pollution and the role of plastic straws, and requires the Delaware Restaurant Association to report back by May 1, 2020 on voluntary efforts its members have taken to curb plastic pollution.


Sabin Lowe, a Plastic Free Delaware Board member and co-chair of the Newark Charter School Marine Science Club provided testimony before both the House and Senate in support of HCR17.   Extra special thanks to Rep. Paul Baumbach, Rep. Valerie Longhurst, and Sen. Trey Paradee for their leadership on this effort.

STRAWS

First of all, if you have not seen this video, it's really all you need to see.


THEN CONSIDER


Although with a few exceptions, most people do not need a straw to drink their water, their soda or their cocktail when dining out.  Do you use one at home?   It is estimated that Americans use more than 180 billion plastic straws a year.  


Plastic straws are not recyclable.  Most end up in the landfill, or even worse, out in the environment where they can harm wildlife and marine animals. 

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Data from Delaware

Along Delaware's coastlines, plastic straws are one of the most prevalent and pervasive types of litter found annually during the Coastal Cleanup which is only three hours in September once a year. Despite more than one hundred restaurants joining the plastic-straws-by-request-only movement, the number of straws found during the 2018 Coastal Cleanup actually INCREASED 50% to more than 2,800!


Plastic Straw Initiative

Plastic Free Delaware has launched an outreach initiative to diners and dining establishments alike.  Diners can request "no straw please," and PFD encourages restaurants to give straws only when requested, and we hope that those that are distributed will be biodegradable. 

Delaware Diners Deputized

When dining out, be sure to relay to your server, "no straw please."  If you forget, and one appears, use it as a conversation starter to ask the establishment to switch to a straws-by-request-only (biodegradable please) approach only.  You can refer them to this site, and the materials below to provide more information.

What's not to love?

Restaurants can:

  • save money by buying far fewer straws
  • decrease plumbing call costs
  • open up precious storage space
  • and save the environment!

On the banned wagon

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Please support these participating restaurants

The following Delaware dining establishments have been confirmed or reported by our intrepid community ambassadors (you can be one, too!) as having adopted the straws-by-request-only policy (and those they do distribute are hopefully biodegradable):

  1. Grain (Newark, Bear, Kennett Square)
  2. Dogfish Head (Rehoboth & Milton)
  3. Michy's (Rehoboth)
  4. New Castle Cafe
  5. Pie
  6. Kid Shelleen's (Wilmington)
  7. Harry's Savoy (North Wilmington)
  8. Egg (Rehoboth)
  9. Nomad (Wilmington)
  10. Home Grown (Newark)
  11. Big Chill Beach Club (Rehoboth)
  12. Pizza by Elizabeths
  13. Deer Park Tavern (Newark)
  14. Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille (47 locations across Delmarva, including Newark, Wilmington, Newark)
  15. Buckley's Tavern
  16. Ted's Montana Grill
  17. Brandywine Brewing Company (Greenville)
  18. McGlynn's Taven (Pike Creek)
  19. Bethany Blues (Lewes & Bethany)
  20. Capers and Lemons (Wilmington)
  21. Eclipse Bistro (Wilmington)
  22. Taverna (Newark)
  23. Redfire Grill (Wilmington)
  24. Penn's Place (New Castle)
  25. Preshy's (Rehoboth)
  26. Cheer Coastal Leisure Center (Ocean View)
  27. The Big Oyster (Rehoboth)
  28. The Backyard (Milton)
  29. GreenMan Juice Bar (Rehoboth)
  30. Caffe Gelato
  31. Dos Locos (Rehoboth)
  32. Rusty Rudder (Dewey Beach)
  33. Henlopen Oyster House 
  34. Hammerheads (Dewey)
  35. Stoney's British Pub (North Wilmington) 
  36. Luna's Cactus Cafe - Delaware (Fenwick/ Selbyville)
  37. Corner Bistro (Talleyville)
  38. Patsy's Restaurant (Bethany Beach)
  39. Two Stones Pub Newark
  40. Two Stones Pub Hockessin
  41. Two Stones Pub Wilmington
  42. Jimmy's Grill (Bridgeville)
  43. 8th & Union Kitchen (Wilmington)
  44. Brick Works Brewing and Eats - Smyrna
  45. Fork and Flask at Nage (Rehoboth)
  46. Winterthur Museum & Gardens
  47. Brandywine Zoo (all AZA accredited members comply)
  48. de La Coeur (Wilmington & Talleyville)
  49. Brew Ha Ha (10 locations!)
  50. Grottos Pizza (10 DE locations)(15 million straws annually)
  51. Angelo's Luncheonette
  52. The Blue Scoop – Selbyville
  53. Gallucio’s (Wilmington)
  54.  UD Creamery Cafeteria services at University of Delaware Osher Lifelong Learning 
  55. Goldey Beacom College (Pike Creek)
  56. EasySpeak Spirits (Milford)
  57. Vincenza and Margherita (Branmar)
  58. Stone Balloon (Newark)
  59. Arenas (Newark)
  60. Sante Fe (Newark)
  61. Iron Hill (Newark)
  62. Mayflower (Newark)
  63. Cheeburger (Newark)
  64. Honeygrow (Newark)
  65. Homegrown (Newark)
  66. Pacha Mama (Newark)
  67. Klondike Kate's (Newark)
  68. Roots (Newark)
  69. Mexican Table (Hockessin)
  70. Route 9 Library Eatery
  71. Honeybee Kitchen and Market (Trolley Square, Wilmington)
  72. Honey's (Lewes)

Our Straw Initiative Partners

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