Straws at drink stations

[Adelle Dazeem]

Too bad that the people worked up about straws aren't worked up about swimming with the captured dolphins.

Guess again. However, we aren't allowed to discuss that disgusting industry on this board without getting shut down.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Guess again. However, we aren't allowed to discuss that disgusting industry on this board without getting shut down.

Thank you. I didn't know that.

 

[DisUniversal]

Too bad that the people worked up about straws aren't worked up about swimming with the captured dolphins.

Is it really that different from those who own pets?

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

Comparing a wild dolphin to a domesticated dog/cat/bird? Yeah, ok.

 

[mom2brooke76]

Comparing a wild dolphin to a domesticated dog/cat/bird? Yeah, ok.

Owning caged birds actually is cruel. I worked for vets for 15 years and people think it's no big deal, but all of these breeds were wild. Most live very long in a cage with their wings clipped and then when the owner realizes how long they live they just give them up. Very sad

 

[AquaDame]

Thank you. I didn't know that.

I didn't know that either...

I suspect it has less to do with the topic at hand than the way the conversation goes... this one is getting heated also. Can we please try to not attack each other for their beliefs? Maybe go light on the 'what about'-isms that takes the threads off track too..? If so we can keep going. If not, we'll have to shut this thread down also and it won't be because we can't talk about straws here...

 

[Grammy4Lizzy]

BRAVA!!!

 

[Ben E N]

I do not fault any individual for loving straws, or any other single use plastics such as disposable forks and knives, or water or soda bottles. The majority of people in the US, and even the world, have been raised knowing these as 'norms'. I was the same until just a couple of years ago myself. I would use single use forks every day for my lunch and then throw them away, thinking nothing of it. It's not until I learned about the impacts that plastics are having on the oceans, and the rest of the food chain, that I started to worry about how much they are being used and tossed away every day. Pregnant women are already not supposed to eat fish because of high levels of mercury - introduced to the oceans through toxic waste dumping. Now there is a garbage patch three times the size of Texas floating around just in the Pacific. People are using 500 million straws per day in the United States alone. If only a small fraction of those reach the ocean, we are helping that patch grow at an exponential rate. Plastics do not break down into organic matter the way woods and papers do. Instead, they break into smaller and smaller pieces, and then fish and other sea life eat those pieces. They either die from them filling their stomachs, or we catch them and we end up eating those plastic pieces.

Whose job is it to stop us from introducing all this plastic to the oceans? It's really hard to say. It's easy to blame companies like Disney. I was on Castaway Cay just two days ago and noticed that their smoothie stand was located just 30 steps from the ocean, and that they gave out plastic straws with their smoothies. I also personally pulled two straws that were not mine out of my small patch of the ocean that I was playing in that afternoon. Obviously Disney is contributing to the problem, but what other choice do they have? We have all been raised to be accustomed to plastic straws, and if they went to something else, more people would just run to their competitors. I do blame those who are lazy enough to let their straws get into the ocean, but they are hard to catch and it does seem unfair to punish everyone. Really the only solution is some sort of government regulation, but we all know that will never happen. Instead, our oceans will continue to get more polluted, and our food sources will continue to become less viable. I think that's why there are people on this thread trying to convince others to stop, but even if the 20 people who read it all stop using plastic straws, that still leaves 330 million more people who are.

By the way, I am just sharing this as an observation, not as a passing of judgement of those who use plastic straws daily. I just ordered a double order of filet mignon as my final dinner last night, and cows are much worse for the environment than straws are, so I am just as guilty as everyone else.

 

[cgolf]

I do not fault any individual for loving straws, or any other single use plastics such as disposable forks and knives, or water or soda bottles. The majority of people in the US, and even the world, have been raised knowing these as 'norms'. I was the same until just a couple of years ago myself. I would use single use forks every day for my lunch and then throw them away, thinking nothing of it. It's not until I learned about the impacts that plastics are having on the oceans, and the rest of the food chain, that I started to worry about how much they are being used and tossed away every day. Pregnant women are already not supposed to eat fish because of high levels of mercury - introduced to the oceans through toxic waste dumping. Now there is a garbage patch three times the size of Texas floating around just in the Pacific. People are using 500 million straws per day in the United States alone. If only a small fraction of those reach the ocean, we are helping that patch grow at an exponential rate. Plastics do not break down into organic matter the way woods and papers do. Instead, they break into smaller and smaller pieces, and then fish and other sea life eat those pieces. They either die from them filling their stomachs, or we catch them and we end up eating those plastic pieces.

Whose job is it to stop us from introducing all this plastic to the oceans? It's really hard to say. It's easy to blame companies like Disney. I was on Castaway Cay just two days ago and noticed that their smoothie stand was located just 30 steps from the ocean, and that they gave out plastic straws with their smoothies. I also personally pulled two straws that were not mine out of my small patch of the ocean that I was playing in that afternoon. Obviously Disney is contributing to the problem, but what other choice do they have? We have all been raised to be accustomed to plastic straws, and if they went to something else, more people would just run to their competitors. I do blame those who are lazy enough to let their straws get into the ocean, but they are hard to catch and it does seem unfair to punish everyone. Really the only solution is some sort of government regulation, but we all know that will never happen. Instead, our oceans will continue to get more polluted, and our food sources will continue to become less viable. I think that's why there are people on this thread trying to convince others to stop, but even if the 20 people who read it all stop using plastic straws, that still leaves 330 million more people who are.

By the way, I am just sharing this as an observation, not as a passing of judgement of those who use plastic straws daily. I just ordered a double order of filet mignon as my final dinner last night, and cows are much worse for the environment than straws are, so I am just as guilty as everyone else.

The way I see it at this point going to paper isn’t a 100 percent win either because of where paper comes from, trees. If say all straws worldwide were switched to paper instead of plastics and say all cups were paper instead of plastic we may lose even more trees, and yes I know some would be made from recycled paper.

We try to recycle as much as possible and police our waste when outdoors or on a cruise, but just looking around not enough people do the same.

The elephant in the room that can’t be fixed, but is causing most problems is overpopulation, in theory the earth can only support so many people. People need to eat and have a place to stay. I am not sure there are any easy answers anymore.

 

[Ben E N]

The elephant in the room that can’t be fixed, but is causing most problems is overpopulation, in theory the earth can only support so many people. People need to eat and have a place to stay. I am not sure there are any easy answers anymore.

There is definitely truth to this, but it is also the behavior of people that plays a role in the problems we are creating. There is an equal biomass of ants to people on earth, and nobody is talking about how there are too many ants in the world. Obviously, and unfortunately, these problems are too great to be fixed on Disboards.

To answer the OP's question with the most up to date information: On the Dream this past week, they had plastic straws everywhere. There were no paper straws to be seen, and you had to request to not have a straw for something as small as a cup of water. The straws at the drink stations on deck 11 came out of a dispenser, and were unwrapped.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Just an FYI
Plastic straws were offered on the Wonder during my visit that ended on April 1st. And paper straws were offered at Animal Kingdom that same day.

It was difficult to drink from Animal Kingdom glasses without the straws the ice rushed my face as I attempted my last few swallows. It was an unpleasant feeling, but I can’t use paper cups or paper straws because of allergy’s. With as often as I leave my glasses behind and have to replace those more frequently then my insurance allows, I’m going to have to stick to the unpleasant awkward and flavorful face wash at AK.

 

[minniemouse1]

We cruise on the Fantasy in less than 3 weeks and I will update this when I return for anyone interested.

I believe if DCL stopped having plastic straws and replaced other plastic products with paper people would still cruise DCL and if they added other measures to significantly lessen their impact on the environment they may even be able to use it in advertising to gain some customers that would not consider cruising in the past. Having a nice little sign at the drink station stating because of the impact on the environment they are replacing all plastic with paper, cruisers would understand with less garbage getting into the ocean unintentionally.

 

[pezgirlroy]

Maybe a new fish extender gift could be metal straws.

 

[mom2brooke76]

Maybe a new fish extender gift could be metal straws.

I am giving out cute Disney paper straws that are hand made on our cruise as an FE gift. That way people have the choice (plus, they're incredibly adorable! )

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

Just read an interesting article on nationalgeographic.com about the "Death of the Plastic Straw". It can easily be found via google, of course. It made me think of this thread. Looks like it is s growing trend to ban plastic straws for the sake of the environment which I think is great news!

 

[Ben E N]

Just read an interesting article on nationalgeographic.com about the "Death of the Plastic Straw". It can easily be found via google, of course. It made me think of this thread. Looks like it is s growing trend to ban plastic straws for the sake of the environment which I think is great news!

Good stuff. I also saw that McDonald's in the UK is getting rid of plastic straws. Let's hope it takes hold.

 

[Jodisneyfan]

The only place you get a straw in my country ( the Netherlands) is: Mc Donalds!! Same for other countries in Europe. No big cups with lots of ice, so no need for a straw. Never heard of sick people due to dirty rims of a glass. Also we have smaller portions of food and less spilling of food and plastic, problem solved!!!??

 

[Ben E N]

The only place you get a straw in my country ( the Netherlands) is: Mc Donalds!! Same for other countries in Europe. No big cups with lots of ice, so no need for a straw. Never heard of sick people due to dirty rims of a glass. Also we have smaller portions of food and less spilling of food and plastic, problem solved!!!??

That would explain why McDonald's is testing out removing it in Europe before the US. It will be much easier to accept there.

 

[Shanti]

I always specifically tell my servers NO STRAWS for our drink. They are an environmental nightmare and so unnecessary.

They certainly help protect the teeth from sodas, so I can't agree that they're unnecessary.

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

They certainly help protect the teeth from sodas, so I can't agree that they're unnecessary.

Try drinking water or simply rinsing your mouth out after drinking a soda.