8家公司弃用塑料吸管，用什么取而代之？

星巴克上周宣布，计划在2020年之前全部门店停用塑料吸管，称之为“用超前意识应对塑料垃圾危机”。除了咖啡巨头星巴克外，至少还有七家公司计划弃用塑料吸管，减少废品、拯救海龟。

截至2016年，海洋中至少有1亿5千万吨塑料。星巴克估计，启动当前计划后，每年全美28000个门店将少用超过10亿根塑料吸管。

这些公司准备用什么取代塑料吸管呢？

1. 星巴克

星巴克宣布要减少塑料吸管产生的垃圾时，表示该公司将使用可循环塑料杯盖替代现有冷饮吸管。如果客人喝星冰乐时要求提供吸管，则使用纸制或可堆肥塑料制成的吸管代替。

2. 凯悦

凯悦酒店集团在一次发布会上宣布，9月1日起塑料吸管仅根据客人要求提供。凯悦还表示，将提供“环保方案”替换其它产品，但并未给出明确说明。

3. 希尔顿酒店

根据希尔顿酒店的计划，集团旗下650家酒店将于2018年停用塑料吸管，以实现在2030年前将环境足迹降低一半的目标。希尔顿称可应顾客要求提供吸管，但为纸吸管或可生物降解吸管。

4. 英国万豪

据BBC报道，2018年2月，万豪国际称其60多家英国酒店将弃用塑料吸管。万豪称将提供替代产品，比如在顾客要求下提供可生物降解吸管或纸吸管等。

5. 美国航空

美国航空和星巴克、凯悦一样，宣布将于11月前全面停用塑料吸管。公司航班上将使用可生物降解的产品替代塑料吸管。

6. 阿拉斯加航空

据美联社报道，阿拉斯加航空5月宣布在今年夏天启用“有利于保护海洋的可持续产品”替代塑料吸管。

7. 海洋世界娱乐公司

海洋世界娱乐公司宣布，作为其“保护全球动物及栖息地计划的一部分”，该公司的全部12家主题公园中将停止使用一次性塑料吸管和塑料袋。公司通告中未提出要使用其它可持续材料取而代之。

8. 皇家加勒比

今年早些时候，皇家加勒比表示旗下全部50艘游轮将于2019年之前停用塑料吸管，如果顾客提出要求，可提供纸吸管。

塑料吸管禁令

除了一些公司计划停用塑料吸管，许多城市还推出塑料吸管禁令，称将对不遵守规定的机构处以罚款。迈阿密海滩、西雅图、奥克兰、伯克利等城市均推出了类似政策。

虽然一些环保组织对停用塑料吸管清理海洋的举措拍手叫好，但残障人士权利保护组织却认为，全面禁用塑料吸管会对残障人士产生不利影响。

芝加哥残障人士权利保护组织Access Living告诉《财富》杂志，禁止使用塑料吸管令人担忧。“对于许多残障人士而言，使用塑料吸管是喝水的唯一方式。有人提议用金属、玻璃、竹子或纸做成的吸管，但这些材料至少会给部分残障人群造成困难。”

该组织解释说，使用金属等替代材料制成的吸管“嘴会吃痛或受伤。纸吸管容易溶解。许多残障人士因为身体原因，或因为要使用特殊的方式小口喝水，必须要用塑料吸管，因为塑料足够灵活。”（财富中文网）

译者：Agatha 

Starbucks announced its plans last week to eliminate all plastic straws from its stores by 2020, which the company described as “forward thinking in tackling the material waste challenge.” The coffee company is joined by at least seven other companies in ditching plastic straws to cut back waste and save the turtles.

As of 2016, the ocean was filled with at least 150 million tons of plastic. Starbucks estimates that its plans will eliminate more than 1 billion plastic straws each year from its more than 28,000 stores around the country.

So what will companies replace their plastic straws with?

1. Starbucks

Along with its announcement to eliminate waste from plastic straws, Starbucks said it will replace the straws with recyclable plastic lids for all cold beverages. Straws made from other materials, like paper and compostable plastic, are also available for use with Frappuccinos upon request.

2. Hyatt

The hotel corporation announced in a press release that starting September 1, plastic straws would only be available by request. Hyatt added that “eco-friendly alternatives” would be made available for other products, but did not specify what the alternatives are.

3. Hilton Hotels

Hoping to cut its environmental footprint in half by 2030, Hilton Hotels outlined its plans to remove plastic straws from 650 properties in 2018. The company said it would replace the plastic straws with a paper or biodegradable option, by request.

4. Marriott International UK

In February 2018, Marriott International said it would remove plastic straws from more than 60 of its UK hotels, according to the BBC. The company said it would provide alternative options, like biodegradable or paper straws to customers who request them.

5. American Airlines

American Airlines joined Starbucks and Hyatt, announced its plans to ditch plastic straws by November of this year. The company will replace plastic straws onboard planes with biodegradable alternatives.

6. Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines also announced in May that it would start to replace plastic straws this summer with “sustainable, marine-friendly alternatives,” according to the Associated Press.

7. SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.

SeaWorld Entertainment announced as “part of its mission to protect animals and habitats worldwide,” that it would eliminate single-use plastic straws and bags from all 12 of its theme parks. The company did not include in its announcement any plans to replace the products with other sustainable materials.

8. Royal Caribbean

Earlier this year, the company said it would eliminate plastic straws from all 50 ships by 2019. Royal Caribbean also said it will offer paper straws to customers by request.

Plastic Straw Bans

In addition to the companies announcing plans to eliminate plastic straws, a number of cities have also said they would ban them and fine facilities that don’t comply. Cities with plastic straw policies include Miami Beach, Seattle, Oakland, and Berkeley.

While some environmental groups have applauded the efforts to clean up oceans by eliminating plastic straws, disability rights groups have said that a total ban on would negatively affect people with physical disabilities.

Access Living, a Chicago-based disability rights organization told Fortune that banning plastic straws is cause for concern: “Many people with disabilities rely on plastic straws as the only way they can drink. Some have proposed the use of metal, glass, bamboo, or paper straws and all of these have issues for at least some people with disabilities.”

The group explained that straws made from alternative materials such as metal, glass, and bamboo “can cause pain or injury to the mouth. Paper straws have a tendency to dissolve. Many people with disabilities need the flexibility of plastic straws because of how their bodies work, or because of how they use their mouths to sip.”