Local restaurateurs have joined forces with the City of Laredo, the Río Grande International Study Center (RGISC). and the Laredo Chamber of Commerce for a day of action over the Earth Day weekend (April 21 – 22) to bring attention to the proliferation of non-biodgradable plastic straws.
Consumers in the United States use 500 million plastic straws every day — enough straw waste to wrap the circumference of the Earth about 2.5 times. Plastic straws photodegrade and break down into small pieces known as microplastics, which are mistaken by fish as food. As members of the food chain humans who enjoy seafood in their diets are in turn ingesting plastic. By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans.
At a press conference on April 17, Mayor Pete Saenz and Tricia Cortez, executive director of RGISC, were joined by local restaurant owners and managers to announce the #NoPlasticStraw / #DiaSinPopote campaign for Earth Day 2018. The 2018 global Earth Day theme is “End Plastic Pollution.”
Participating restaurants thus far include Anise (Saturday), Border Foundry (Saturday), Casa Lopez Tapas Bar, El Capataz, Danny’s restaurants, Lolita’s Bistro, Scratch, Siete Banderas, Sushi Madre, Texas Roadhouse, Tabernilla, Tono’s (Saturday), Jujuice Cold Pressed Juicery, Mel’s Kitchen, and Bubble Waffle, with more restaurants pending confirmation.
Participating restaurants will only serve plastic straws upon request on April 21-22. Some restaurants like, Border Foundry, will be offering patrons compostable straws that day.
“Something so simple as giving up your plastic straw can help clean up our waterways and oceans and protect wildlife. I ask the community to participate in the #NoPlasticStraw pledge this weekend, April 21 and 22, and show support for our environment,” said Mayor Pete Saenz. “I thank the Rio Grande International Study Center, the Laredo Chamber of Commerce, and our local businesses for participating in this world-wide effort to limit our carbon footprint and make our natural world safer, more beautiful and, most importantly, more livable for current and future generations,” he said.
The world produces more than 300 million tons of plastic each year but only about 10% is recycled. An estimated 71 % of seabirds and 30 % of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. Marine life has a 50 % chance of surviving after ingesting plastic.
According to Cortez, plastic straws are oftentimes not recycled because they fall through screening equipment at recycling facilities and are instead sent to landfills.
“We are grateful for the support of the no straw initiative by the City, Mayor Saenz, and these restaurants,” said Cortez. “We get so used to these little plastic objects that we don’t stop to think about what happens to them after we throw them away. Sadly, they don’t ‘go away.’ They stay in our environment, and cause harm to marine and land animals, our rivers and oceans, and increasingly, in our own bodies,” she said, adding, “Little things do matter. We ask the public to say no to single-use disposable plastic straws at restaurants and bars. Help us save our oceans, rivers, beaches, and planet one plastic straw at a time.”
For more information, call the RGISC office at (956) 718-1063.
