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The last straw

Local businesses join the fight against plastic

Isabel Braverman - Staff Writer
Posted 8/13/18

Eva Barnett knew she had to do something. As the owner of Café Adella Dori in Callicoon, she saw a need to reduce the amount of plastic waste her business inherently generated. Plastic cups, straws …

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The last straw

Local businesses join the fight against plastic

Posted

Eva Barnett knew she had to do something. As the owner of Café Adella Dori in Callicoon, she saw a need to reduce the amount of plastic waste her business inherently generated. Plastic cups, straws and to-go containers are a part of everyday life at a coffee shop. But what if it didn't have to be that way?

Modern life in America means convenience. We want our coffee to go and we want it fast. We want a plastic water bottle available wherever we may be. Gone are the days of sitting down in a café over a nice cup of coffee and chatting with the people around you. While convenience is an advantage, it has a dark underside.

A Global Problem

The ocean suffers from plastic pollution. The World Economic Forum reports that there are 150 million metric tons of plastics in the ocean. And if we continue this trend, scientists predict there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050.

While those numbers are stark, there's more alarming evidence of plastic pollution. Plastic collects in what is known as “garbage patches” that pulls in trash and gets pushed together by the ocean's current. The largest garbage patch is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, or the Pacific Trash Vortex, which is about twice the size of Texas.

This summer the plastic straw has become a point of contention. Many restaurants are banning the straw (along with plastic utensils) and some cities have banned it altogether. On July 1 Seattle became the first major U.S. city with a plastic straw ban. Also in July, Starbucks announced it would transition to lids that don't need a straw.

Local Initiative

The rising trend has made national news and it's happening here in Sullivan County, too. Places like Café Adella Dori are getting rid of plastic straws. “I feel a responsibility as a business owner to make ethical and environmentally sound decisions, mostly because of the amount of waste this kind of business inherently creates,” Barnett said.

At her coffee shop, she's recently made some changes to cut down on waste. She moved from plastic straws to paper straws. She and the café employees ask people if they want their drink for here or to go, to possibly encourage them to take a moment and realize they could just drink it there, forgoing the need for a to-go cup and straw. They also place the straws and lids in another location, so people can think twice if they really need them.

The café also enacted a 10-cent charge for to-go cups, and on the other side, customers receive 30 cents off for bringing their own cup. Barnett said this has made some customers upset, but others are grateful for the reminder. “It doesn't solve a problem, but it creates a dialog,” Barnett said.

Indeed that's the genesis of the plastic straw bans across the country: to make people think about the amount of plastic we use in our daily lives. Just think of how much plastic you touch every day, from plastic bags and water bottles, to containers and electronics.

Plastic litter is found along ocean shorelines. The Ocean Conservancy's 2017 Coastal Cleanup Report compiled beach cleanups around the world and found that the most common trash item found on beaches is cigarettes, followed by plastic bottles, bottle caps, wrappers and bags. Straws and stirrers placed seventh on the list, at about 3 percent of the total trash. So while straws may not be making the biggest impact, they are a starting point to the realization of how much single-use plastics are out there.

Restaurants are a big generator of plastic waste, which is why they are spearheading making changes. The Pickled Owl in Hurleyville got rid of plastic straws, a move they want their customers to know about. Owners Brynn and Evan Allees said while it's a part of a larger puzzle, every little bit helps. “The No Straw Campaign is a great way to start creating an awareness of the damage to our world and environment by the casual use of plastic in our disposable-oriented culture. We think of the campaign as a starting point to minimizing our carbon footprint in honor of the generations to follow us.”

Other restaurants are taking the lead. Many use paper straws, such as Henning's Local, the Heron, Callicoon Wine Merchant, Benji & Jake's, The Arnold House, The DeBruce Inn and The Pickled Owl, among others. At Benji & Jake's, the pizza place in White Lake, they also moved to recycled paper to-go boxes as well as paper gelato cups from plastic ones. At the Tusten Cup in Narrowsburg, they offer “pasta straws” with cold drinks.

Barnett said she is open to feedback from her customers. “Something I think is really important is to keep talking about it and be educated on it,” she said. The café now offers stainless steel to-go cups, and if you bring your own cup no matter the size they'll fill it up.

The Pickled Owl is moving to eliminating plastic cutlery and ketchup containers on to-go orders to become completely plastic free. “Plastic pollution is a real issue and will continue to be if we don't start taking responsibility as individuals,” said Evan.

It starts with you

Every person can do their part to reduce the amount of waste they generate. Some examples are to bring a re-usable bag to the grocery store (keep it in your car for extra convenience), use a paper or re-usable straw (such as a stainless steel one), bring your own to-go containers to restaurants for leftovers, pack lunches/snacks in reusable containers instead of plastic baggies. And of course, bring your own cup to your local coffee shop. “I want this to be an opportunity for people,” Barnett said. While it may not solve the larger problem, it's one step in the right direction, one straw at a time.

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