The Walt Disney Co.'s plastic straws and stirrers are headed for Never, Never Land as the company reveals plans to eliminate single-use plastic items at its various owned and operated locations around the world by 2019, The HuffPost reported.
The campaign means that more than 175 million straws and 13 million stirrers will be eliminated annually, and Disney is not stopping there, ABC News reported.
The company also revealed plans to cut down on single-use plastic bags while moving towards re-fillable in-room amenities in its hotels and cruise ships.
According to a recent global estimate, humans have produced about 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic since 1950, with 79 percent of that having been thrown away into a landfill site or the environment, the Independent noted.
Amid pressure from environmentalists, many companies have moved toward reducing their impact on the environment by phasing out the use of single-use plastic items.
Recently Starbucks revealed plans to phase out plastic straws by 2020, making it one of the largest retailers to commit to the no-straw movement.
American Airlines followed suit, saying it would be eliminating plastic straws and stir sticks from flights and lounges and instead hand out straw-and-wood stir sticks and bamboo straws with drinks, and will begin transitioning to "all eco-friendly flatware" in its lounges.
Recently a 10-year-old launched an online petition calling for Disney World to stop using plastic straws and lids.
"If we want all children to have a chance to learn about sea turtles, we have to protect them," wrote Brayden Bittel, who drew 34,851 supporters to her online campaign. "Please sign my petition to ask the Disney company to help protect our planet and the animals on it by stopping the distribution of plastic straws and lids at all Disney parks."
Disney has since announced its plans to do just that.
"Eliminating plastic straws and other plastic items are meaningful steps in our long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship," said Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney parks, experiences, and consumer products, according to ABC News.
"These new global efforts help reduce our environmental footprint, and advance our long-term sustainability goals."
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