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Major corporations like Starbucks, Bacardi Rum, Bon Appétit Management Company, Marriott hotels, Alaska Airlines, and American Airlines have publicly announced that they will phase out plastic straws in the coming years. And they aren't the only ones.
Seattle recently became the first major U.S. city to ban plastic straws. Council members in major cities like D.C. and New Yorkhave proposed bans, and smaller municipalities like Miami Beach and Malibuhave at least partially implemented bans.
Though just a small fraction of all plastic pollution, straws have become a symbol of waste to rally behind and a feasible way for consumers to feel like they're making a difference. But how do such bans actually go from a pipe dream to a reality on the ground? And what impact will they have?
In Seattle, the movement to ban straws first gained traction in 2008, when the city passed an ordinance requiring one-time-use food items be recyclable or compostable. The ordinance was updated in 2010, and by July of this year, plastic straws and utensils were prohibited from use....
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