Straws have been getting a lot of attention lately, and for good reason. According to a recent study, straws and stirrers make up 7% of the plastic trash found in the environment.
These single-use plastic items overtook their paper predecessors in the 1960s and 1970s, creating a permanent memento for every gas station soda, classic cocktail, and milkshake drank since the switch. Straws aren’t recyclable due to their small size, which means they are either destined for the landfill or as litter – litter that eventually makes its way into the ocean, threatening wildlife.
Growing awareness has created a wave of new policies in restaurants – especially Green Dining Alliance Certified restaurants – to reduce the use of single-use plastic trash, especially straws. Many restaurants have decided to only give straws on request, moved to compostable straws, or both to help stem the plastic tide. Some restaurants have even eliminated straws completely (with a few on reserve for those with disabilities).
Alternatives to traditional plastic are known to be expensive, so we decided to reach out to one of our members to see what their decision cost.
Mission Taco Joint gave up plastic straws this February, moving to a compostable option that is approximately 1 1/2 times as expensive as what they previously used. Despite the increased cost, Mission responded with some surprising news – they were saving money! They were able to do this by only offering straws on request, dramatically reducing the amount of straws they need to purchase.
The following data provided is an estimate from examining 3 stores over 4 months, extrapolating for the rest of the year. They feel it is a conservative estimate.
In 2017, they purchased 139 cases of 10/250 count straws (347,500 straws) at $26.95 per case, costing a total of $3746.05.
In 2018, they purchased 5 cases of 24/400 count compostable straws (48,000 straws) at $152.01 per case, costing a total of $760.05.
That means Mission has saved $248.83 per store per month, with a yearly savings of nearly $3,000 per store!
Mission saved money while keeping an estimated 900,000 straws per year out of the landfill between all three locations! They did a great job educating their staff and public with adorable signage and social media posts explaining their decision. There were snags – some people were initially upset or confused about the change – but providing compostable straws on request only has worked overall as a compromise.
One of Mission Taco’s great educational signs.
The GDA always suggests that restaurants ditch their straws, but some are nervous to make the change because they do not want to upset their customers. If you want your favorite restaurant to give up single-use plastic, send a polite, private note on social media that explains why you’d love for them to take the plunge into a straw-free future!
It is important to note that just because a restaurant has a request-only policy, it can be difficult to execute in practice. Restaurants tend to have high turnover and are always training new staff, and, while most people want to do the right thing, old habits die hard; the standard of service for restaurants over the last few decades has been to automatically give out straws with every beverage. That’s why it’s important to always say “no straw, please” when you go out to eat.
Here’s a list of some of the GDA restaurants that have a straws-on-request policy, compostable straws, or have no straws at all:
Confluence Kombucha
Cafe Natasha’s
Avenue Restaurant
Peacemaker Lobster and Crab Co.
Seed Sprout Spoon
Bombay Food Junkies (brick and mortar restaurant)
Vin De Set
Ferguson Brewing Co
Gelateria del Leone
The Wolf
PW Pizza
Eleven Eleven Mississippi
Sardella
Pastaria
Porano Pasta
Guido’s Pizzaria and Tapas
Traveling Tea
Salt+Smoke
Tick Tock Tavern
Perennial Artisan Ales
Lulu’s Local Eatery
Olive & Oak
The Royale
Pin Up Bowl
Sassafras Cafe at the Missouri Botanical Gardens
The Crow’s Nest
The Living Room
Kakao
Juicemasters
HandleBar
Sub Zero Vodka Bar
SqWires
Bayou Catering & Seasoning
Firecracker Pizza & Beer
4 Hands
Bailey’s Chocolate Bar
Bailey’s Range
Rooster
Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar
Hugo’s
Small Batch
Schlafly
Cafe Kudu and the Lakeside Cafe at the St. Louis Zoo
Rooster
Mission Taco
Bolyards’ Meat & Provisions
Winslow’s Home
Big Sky Cafe
Kounter Kulture
Good Fortune
