BYOS bring your own straw (Disney removing straws and more in 2019)

[Ponderer]

Florida grid is mostly natural gas + some coal too. Is Disney planning on investing in solar generation in the Sunshine State? If it's clean electricity, they can crank that A/C all they want.

They're definitely investing in solar.

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...disney-world-resort-powering-two-theme-parks/

 

[AurumPunzel]

Well........
Plastic lids are pretty much gone at Disney owned food vendors and a CM told me that when the current supply of plastic straws are used up they will dissapear as well.
The floors in most of the counter service establishment were splattered with sticky dried soda pop from guests sloshing their drinks while heading to a table.
Starbucks and Joffrey's still have lids and I imagine that they will continue to offer them since they likely want to avoid lawsuits from people scalded by hot coffee or tea spilled from an open top cup.
I suppose that they will have straws for some time as well since it's nearly impossible to drink an iced Mocha with whipped cream on top without one.

I guess sooner or later, when the complaints about the lack of lids and spillages massively skyrockets, they're going to have to rethink their plan and switch to bioplastic lids. As for hot drinks, it's always common sense to have lids on those cups, because otherwise they'd be getting a lot of compensation claims over nth degree burns.

 

[ChrisNY2]

...
The floors in most of the counter service establishment were splattered with sticky dried soda pop from guests sloshing their drinks while heading to a table...

Are people intentionally pouring their drinks on the floors to make a point? I don't understand how guests at Animal Kingdom, Sea World, and pretty much every zoo in the country seem to be able to keep their drinks in their cups yet there is a new reported epidemic of spills at MK.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

While 'Are today's durable goods too low quality / too disposable?' is a valid question, I think it's a separate one from 'How do we reduce, reuse, or recycle one-time use, disposable items?' You're not going to get everyone who comes to the parks to bring their own reusable travel mugs, so if disposable cups need to be provided in some form, what should that form be?

My understanding with the wax-lined paper cups is they aren't necessarily easily recyclable, nor compostable. Plastic drink cups could be a solution if they actually provide convenient recycling at the parks. There's a whole lot of trash cans at Disney and not enough recycling. Surely there could be some kind of innovative solution that accepts & diverts remaining ice/liquid while taking the plastic to recycle? Biodegradable paper straws like at Animal Kingdom solves the straw problem. Whatever the solution is, I'm okay with the approach being "how do we do disposable items smarter?" Fast food has been making strides over the past few years with biodegradable papers for bags, wrappers, bowls (ideally this should be paired with available compost bins, of course).

To say nothing of the fact that they don't always recycle their recycling. In fact, sometimes, it is freely mixed with regular trash and tossed into the dumpster.

Sorry, Disney, don't tell me how much you do for the environment when I see your cast members doing things like that.

 

[jade1]

Are people intentionally pouring their drinks on the floors to make a point? I don't understand how guests at Animal Kingdom, Sea World, and pretty much every zoo in the country seem to be able to keep their drinks in their cups yet there is a new reported epidemic of spills at MK.

Wondered that as well. Although AK is 500 acres with half the people, to MK's 100 acres.

It is shoulder to shoulder far more often at MK.

Heck Cosmic Ray's is the busiest restaurant in the US, 3rd in the entire world.

 

[The Pho]

To say nothing of the fact that they don't always recycle their recycling. In fact, sometimes, it is freely mixed with regular trash and tossed into the dumpster.

Sorry, Disney, don't tell me how much you do for the environment when I see your cast members doing things like that.

Disney World hand sorts all of the trash after it's removed from the can and separates all recycling. So regardless of the can it's put in, it is still being recycled.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Disney World hand sorts all of the trash after it's removed from the can and separates all recycling. So regardless of the can it's put in, it is still being recycled.

I would need some proof of that.

Why, if they have separate bins for recycling, would they then combine them, in the same bag, only to separate them again? I'm not talking about all the bags going in together. I'm talking about leaving the bag in the bin, but dumping the recycling in with the trash, then taking it.

 

[The Pho]

I would need some proof of that.

Why, if they have separate bins for recycling, would they then combine them, in the same bag, only to separate them again? I'm not talking about all the bags going in together. I'm talking about leaving the bag in the bin, but dumping the recycling in with the trash, then taking it.

Well if you need proof go on one of the backstage tours at Magic Kingdom and you can see it for yourself. There's a trash building behind Splash but I can't remember if that is the actual main sorting one or not, that might actually be the building near Cast Connection.

They have to sort it all regardless of which can it is, especially with the use of the AVAC system. There are a lot of people that don't care which can they put something in. Trash cans get a lot of recycling and recycling cans get a lot of trash. Separate cans just makes the sorting a little neater.

 

[AurumPunzel]

Wondered that as well. Although AK is 500 acres with half the people, to MK's 100 acres.

It is shoulder to shoulder far more often at MK.

Heck Cosmic Ray's is the busiest restaurant in the US, 3rd in the entire world.

I was about to make that point. Because of how busy MK and the other WDW parks are compared to AK, eliminating the lids is bound to cause spillage issues, not to mention that lids are far easier to recycle than straws (and yes, plastic lids can be recycled - McDonald's UK already does that in their restaurants)

Well if you need proof go on one of the backstage tours at Magic Kingdom and you can see it for yourself. There's a trash building behind Splash but I can't remember if that is the actual main sorting one or not, that might actually be the building near Cast Connection.

They have to sort it all regardless of which can it is, especially with the use of the AVAC system. There are a lot of people that don't care which can they put something in. Trash cans get a lot of recycling and recycling cans get a lot of trash. Separate cans just makes the sorting a little neater.

Since Disney already has a recycling system, it's making me think how pointless their environmental plan is, given that it seems to be nothing more than a virtue signal. If McDonald's UK can already provide a great recycling system for their disposable plastics (even the straws; I wonder how they achieved that), then why can't Disney expand their recycling system to also include such disposables? They seem to have the budget to do so.

 

[jade1]

I was about to make that point. Because of how busy MK and the other WDW parks are compared to AK, eliminating the lids is bound to cause spillage issues, not to mention that lids are far easier to recycle than straws (and yes, plastic lids can be recycled - McDonald's UK already does that in their restaurants)

Yea I've seen many folks lift that food tray over their head as the snake through the masses, but hopefully not anymore with no lids. Even without spilling it they will be leaking all over.

Since Disney already has a recycling system, it's making me think how pointless their environmental plan is, given that it seems to be nothing more than a virtue signal. If McDonald's UK can already provide a great recycling system for their disposable plastics (even the straws; I wonder how they achieved that), then why can't Disney expand their recycling system to also include such disposables? They seem to have the budget to do so.

Yea seems pretty easy if that's already the case. Even plastic strawless lids, just eliminate straws- or maybe keep some paper ones for a few needs.

 

[Ponderer]

Since Disney already has a recycling system, it's making me think how pointless their environmental plan is, given that it seems to be nothing more than a virtue signal. If McDonald's UK can already provide a great recycling system for their disposable plastics (even the straws; I wonder how they achieved that), then why can't Disney expand their recycling system to also include such disposables? They seem to have the budget to do so.

The lids part is confusing. Very few recyclers will handles straws, though - the shape and softness don't play well in recycling machines. As far as I know, McDonalds UK is going to paper straws, not recycling plastic ones.

EDIT: Here's an article on the technical problems with recycling plastic lids.

https://www.thoughtco.com/recycle-plastic-lids-and-bottle-caps-1204153

 

[AurumPunzel]

The lids part is confusing. Very few recyclers will handles straws, though - the shape and softness don't play well in recycling machines. As far as I know, McDonalds UK is going to paper straws, not recycling plastic ones.

They're already recycling their existing plastic ones along with the lids, though as I've said, I've wondered how they managed to achieve that since it's frequently mentioned that the straws are difficult to recycle. You're right in saying that they're switching to paper, though it's not going to be until they exhaust their existing stock, which they reckon will be either next month or the month after. My local ones have yet to switch to paper.

 

[Ponderer]

Are you sure about the lids? I found an interview with the McDonald's CEO where he said this when talking about the UK rollout:

" 'McDonald’s is “really close” to all of its packaging being recyclable, according to Pomroy. In fact, the only item of packaging that can’t currently be recycled, he said, are the plastic drink lids. But the chain hopes to find a solution to the plastic lids “within the next year.' "

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/mcdonalds-plastic-straws-phase-out-uk/

This is all very confusing.

 

[AurumPunzel]

Are you sure about the lids? I found an interview with the McDonald's CEO where he said this when talking about the UK rollout:

" 'McDonald’s is “really close” to all of its packaging being recyclable, according to Pomroy. In fact, the only item of packaging that can’t currently be recycled, he said, are the plastic drink lids. But the chain hopes to find a solution to the plastic lids “within the next year.' "

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/mcdonalds-plastic-straws-phase-out-uk/

This is all very confusing.

I was under the impression they already do, given that I always put the straw and lid into the plastics recycling bin every time I'm in a McDonald's. Unless they're talking about the bottle caps on drinks such as Tropicana (which I know for certain that in my municipality, they won't take them in the household recycling bin), I didn't think that was too much of an issue given the size of the cup lids.

 

[Ponderer]

I was under the impression they already do, given that I always put the straw and lid into the plastics recycling bin every time I'm in a McDonald's. Unless they're talking about the bottle caps on drinks such as Tropicana (which I know for certain that in my municipality, they won't take them in the household recycling bin), I didn't think that was too much of an issue given the size of the cup lids.

This is just educated speculation, but I think the texture of those is what's problematic in recycling machines. They kind of crack/shatter into hard pieces, and I can certainly see that causing havoc when being run through machines compared to something like a drink bottle.

I was going over my recycling list last week just as a refresher, and jeez, there's sure a lot my town recycling won't touch. It's rather eye-opening.

 

[jade1]

There is a spill free all in one cup out there, currently paper. Regardless more options are coming I presume.

 

[HCinKC]

I just heard a story about recycling becoming problematic around the world. One of the major contaminants is food debris (especially grease/oil), and the leading buyer of paper recyclables is becoming a lot pickier. A major problem for the US is that we don't actually recycle a lot of our recycling. We often package it up and ship it to other countries for that. That is probably in part because we no longer manufacture a lot of our own stuff. Regardless, that shipping is also a consideration in terms of environmental impact.

Bottom line is that it is a major issue that needs to be addressed worldwide. We cannot keep consuming and trashing at this rate. And by "we", I mean the 7 billion humans living on this single planet. I think anything that keeps the dialogue moving forward is a good thing. Removing plastic lids, straws, and bags is a blip on the radar, but when it is being done by major players like Disney and McDonald's, hopefully it will lead to creative thinking and a variety of possible solutions. It is human nature to begrudge change, but everything eventually becomes the new normal, and we all move on to the next irritant.

 

[AurumPunzel]

I just heard a story about recycling becoming problematic around the world. One of the major contaminants is food debris (especially grease/oil), and the leading buyer of paper recyclables is becoming a lot pickier. A major problem for the US is that we don't actually recycle a lot of our recycling. We often package it up and ship it to other countries for that. That is probably in part because we no longer manufacture a lot of our own stuff. Regardless, that shipping is also a consideration in terms of environmental impact.

Bottom line is that it is a major issue that needs to be addressed worldwide. We cannot keep consuming and trashing at this rate. And by "we", I mean the 7 billion humans living on this single planet. I think anything that keeps the dialogue moving forward is a good thing. Removing plastic lids, straws, and bags is a blip on the radar, but when it is being done by major players like Disney and McDonald's, hopefully it will lead to creative thinking and a variety of possible solutions. It is human nature to begrudge change, but everything eventually becomes the new normal, and we all move on to the next irritant.

I think the real question is going to be one of about whether or not we'll start to see a comprehensive reform in the way waste management and recycling is carried out around the world, especially since China now needs their recycling capacity to boost their low recycling rates, which made them the worst country in the world for oceanic plastic waste pollution, and if the petroplastics industry will switch production to viable bioplastics that have all the benefits of existing petroplastic products, but without the negative downsides that's often talked about, as the boycotts start hitting their profits, not to mention the question as to whether or not we can come up with what I term a 'Goldilocks Solution' that can strike a fair balance between helping the environment and maintaining the convenience we've been comfortable with since the mid-late 20th Century. Since reverting back to what we Brits call the 'Victorian times' in terms of going back to what we've used prior to the advent of plastic is going to be largely problematic, and more so in Disney, a middle ground has to be reached somewhere, and as you rightfully said, hopefully it will lead to creative thinking and a variety of possible solutions.

 

[Isaiah4113]

Disney Expands Environmental Commitment By Reducing Plastic Waste

This is absolutely a joke. Until they get rid of single use forks, knives and spoons in addition to all of the plastic wrappings on all of the overpriced merchandise, plastic film in things like pop figures, etc, this is nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to get on board with others who are making a big deal about straws in the sea

 

[Isaiah4113]

I love how when anyone tries to take a first step towards conservation, people love to jump all over them - either by complaining about what they're doing, or saying it's not enough. Talk about damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

Maybe not. Big picture... until “they” stop putting carcinogens in our food and cleaning supplies, VOCs in many household items, reduce the damage caused by lightbulbs and cellular 5G, and so much more, plastic reduction is not really the issue. Sea life is important, but human beings should be priority. Progress should not be more valuable than humans. Additionally if you read articles about this you can get real stats from environmental scientists who discuss the minimal impact and that in many cases recycling causes more damage to the ozone and oceans that the actual plastic itself.