Syracuse University has removed plastic straws from all five residential dining halls this semester in an effort to reduce plastic waste.

The switch comes after national companies, such as Starbucks and Hilton, have pledged to stop using plastic straws. Dining halls will now have straws made of paper instead of plastic. Mark Tewksbury, director of residence dining and Dome operations, said the sustainable switch isn’t cost-effective, but it’s important because of the environmental impact of removing plastic from SU’s waste stream.

“Every step we can take as a community to reduce the effect plastic has on our environment is important,” Tewksbury said. “It contributes to the global effort to better our planet.”

SU isn’t the only college campus that has banned straws. Dartmouth University’s dining services began working in February to eliminate plastic straws by switching to paper straws and using sip-thru lids, according to The Dartmouth.

Donald Reed, associate director of dining at Dartmouth, said the cost of one paper straw is equivalent to seven plastic straws. University of Portland and Knox College in Illinois have also stopped using plastic straws, according to Business Wire.

Last week, California became the first state to ban plastic straws in full-service restaurants, unless customers request them.

“The straw is the poster child for plastic for most people, yet we’re not conscious about it or saying no to it,” said Jackie Nunez, founder of The Last Plastic Straw, an organization that aims to increase public awareness about the abundance of plastic waste. Nunez said that even using a non-plastic fork can positively impact the environment.

“If you think about a college campus, it’s like a mini-city,” Nunez said. “Syracuse University is its own little community. Eliminating plastic straws is bigger than you think and really affects future generations.”

Published on September 26, 2018 at 10:44 pm

Contact Jordan: jallen15@syr.edu