Hyatt Hotels Says So Long to Plastic Straws

Hyatt thinks straws suck: The brand said today that it will phase out plastic straws and those little drink picks, making the single-use items available only upon request after September 1. While the hotel group, which has more than 700 hotels, didn’t commit to totally eliminating single-use plastics, the step is sure to have an impact on a global scale. And the move puts Hyatt in league with Starbucks, which also announced today it would be “removing plastic straws in our stores globally by 2020,” a move that could save 1 billion straws a year, the company said.

“Eliminating plastic straws and drink picks builds on the environmental sustainability programs we have in place and further drives our global efforts to reduce environmental impact,” said Hyatt’s senior vice president, global operations, Frank Lavey, in a statement.

Other travel companies are also taking steps to limit or eliminate plastic straws, a cause that’s gone viral in recent months: Alaska Airlines will stop handing ‘em out on July 16; Hilton says plastic straws will be removed “from its 650 managed properties by the end of 2018”; the cruise line Hurtigruten banned all single-use plastic, including straws, as of July 2; Carnival ships have switched to a policy of only handing out straws on demand. And while some opinionators say eliminating plastic straws doesn’t do enough to combat the broader environmental impact of travel, we’re of the mind that every little bit helps.