In a surprising move, British pub chain JD Weatherspoon has announced that effective January 2018, it will no longer be using plastic straws at any of its pubs in the U.K. and Ireland. From January, the company only plans to use paper biodegradable straws.
The move by JD Weatherspoon is estimated to prevent 70 million straws ending up in landfills and our oceans every year. The pub chain is the latest in a long list of U.K. companies to turn away from the use of plastic straws, including All Bar One, Oakman Inns and the Liberation Group.
The move is a response to the Refuse the Straw campaign, which has recently gained momentum and aims to eliminate plastic straws as a major source of pollution.
To see the sort of impact straws can have on wildlife and the sea, watch the video below to watch a straw being removed from a sea turtle’s nostril.
