Wellington waterfront goes straw free, now the council wants the city to follow suit
All 26 bars, cafes and restaurants on the Wellington waterfront from the Railway Station to Freyberg Pool have gone straw free.
It's the final straw for plastic straws on the Wellington waterfront, with the area now deemed a no-go zone for the convenient plastic tubes.
And now the Wellington City Council and conservation groups want the rest of the city to follow suit.
The council and Sustainable Coastlines have been pushing for an end to straw use on the waterfront since early last year. Straws were one of the most common litter items found in beach clean-ups.
Exchange student Katie Timzen started the ball rolling on banning plastic straws on Wellington's waterfront.
American exchange student Katie Timzen got the ball rolling last year with a survey of waterfront restaurants, finding the majority were open to phasing out plastic straws.
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* Council aims to curb use of plastic straws
* Wagamama Wellington leads world-wide chain in plastic straw ban
Some restaurants were handing out 800 straws every week, Timzen's research revealed.
Wagamamas have dropped plastic straws world-wide after the WCC initiative which revealed their impact on the local harbour.
The next big victory in the war against the straw came in January when restaurant Wagamama in Wellington led the 200-strong international chain of restaurants to become plastic-straw free.
Heather MacDougall, a fellow American exchange student who has worked on the project, hoped the campaign would spread further.
"Each year Sustainable Coastlines pick up over 10,000 plastic straws from Wellington beaches alone – putting them in the top five of items in beach clean-up audits," MacDougall said.
"It can take up to 200 years for a single plastic straw to break down in the ocean."
In total 26 restaurants, cafes, and bars in the area from the Railway Station to Freyberg Pool no longer use plastic straws – instead opting for paper, biodegradable, metal alternatives, or no straws at all.
Wellington City Council has also made being plastic straw-free a condition of trade for stalls and food trucks at Harbourside Market and along the Wellington waterfront.
Mayor Justin Lester said the result was fantastic.
"This project fits our visions of developing Wellington as an Eco City by addressing the environmental challenges we have, and investing in our natural assets to insure a greener, sustainable, and more resilient future.
"We have made a commitment to waste management and minimisation, primarily reducing the volume of rubbish that ends up in our landfills.
Wagamamas have dropped plastic straws world-wide after the WCC initiative which revealed their impact on the local harbour. Rosie Gilbertson holding Wagamama straw free information cubes. Rosie Gilbertson holding biostraws.
The next challenge was making the whole city straw-free.
Other cities overseas have already gone plastic straw-free, with Seattle being the most famous with its 'Strawless in Seattle' campaign.
Council infrastructure and sustainability portfolio leader Iona Pannett said the next step was working with other organisations to encourage non-participating bars, restaurants and event organisers to join the campaign.
"Casual plastic use needs to come to an end. As with plastic bags, we can't regulate the banning of plastic straws so we need to focus on education, collaboration, and participation – and public pressure is already making a difference."
Karin Wiley from Forest & Bird has first-hand experience of the damage plastic is doing to the environment.
"It's not just plastic straws that are an issue in the ocean – any sort of plastic is. I have done autopsies on little penguins and found large amounts of plastic in their gut, although not specifically plastic straws," Karin said.
- Stuff
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