Initiative: Getting Restaurants to Stop Giving Out Plastic Straws Automatically
Wouldn’t it be nice if restaurant servers asked if you wanted a straw before sticking one in your drink automatically? Right now, it’s up to us to refuse those straws ahead of time. And sometimes, we have to ask more than once for our request to be remembered and fulfilled.
That’s one of the reasons I carry a Glass Dharma glass drinking straw with me wherever I go. Whipping out my straw is a memorable way to get the server’s attention and sometimes to start a conversation about the environmental impact of plastic. I also have sensitive teeth, so drinking cold beverages through a straw is just easier. Some of you have mentioned that you don’t need any straw at all. So let’s tell restaurants to quit giving them to us!
Take Action
1) Choose your restaurant(s) to write to. Any restaurant. Preferably one(s) you frequent and that you have noticed gives out unwrapped straws automatically.
2) Write a snail mail letter. Paper letters get more attention, so you’ll have to look up the company’s address. I’ve included my own letter to a restaurant at the bottom of this post. Feel free to use it as a model, but do try to use your own words in case more than one person writes to the same restaurant.
3) Copy your letter into a comment on this blog, including the address of the restaurant so others can write to the same establishment if they choose. (Delete your personal contact information before posting your comment here where everyone can see it.)
My Letter to Pasta Pomodoro
Okay, here is the letter I am mailing today:
Beth Terry
Address
AddressApril 15, 2011
Pasta Pomodoro
1550 Bryant Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
E-mail: pasta@pastap.comDear Pasta Pomodoro:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal — except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark (http://www.aardvarkstraws.com).
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the free meals on my birthday and good food the rest of the year.
Sincerely,
Beth Terry
Update: After publishing this post, I was contacted by the team of BeStrawFree.org letting me know about 9-year old Milo’s project to reduce single-use plastic straw waste. Please sign on to and pledge to live plastic straw-free.
Great that you feel you’re saving the planet but don’t impose your ideas on those that don’t agree with legislation that impacts my love of straws. And no, I’m not carrying a straw around with the damn brown bag that forced on us in Austin.
I am so excited! Thank you so much!
I’m starting a food cart and I told David that I would love to become a reseller for him. I can’t wait to start bringing this great product to PTown. It’s exactly the kind of thing I think would go over great here.
Sarah, no worries. David said he’d send your straws today or tomorrow.
I am so heartbroken right now. I was just wondering if something had happened to my straws in the mail so I searched for earthday@glassdharma.com in my email account and discovered that my very lengthy email to them had been saved as a draft instead of sent. I sent a plea to ask if they could please honor the promotion still or just send me one straw even.
Beth, if you have any pull could you root for me? I have been telling people all over Portland for weeks about these straws arriving and I’ve already started sewing utensil pouches to carry the straws, silverware, and napkins wherever I go. I know I can just buck up and buy them if I need to but I searched a year around Portland for these to try and save on shipping (no job besides blogging atm).
Anyway, point being that people have finally come around to reusable drinking bottles and shopping bags, I think reusables will be taking over more and more.
5-10 years ago, the people in my grocery store looked at me like I was nutts whenever I said the magic words “I don’t need a bag”.
After a while it turned into a more neutral response but I always felt like I was expected to pack the groceries myself, almost like the cashier is thinking “Well fine then, if you don’t want our bags then do it yourself.”
Did you ever get that vibe or was it all in my head?
These days it’s just so common to have green bags and sometimes the cashier will take the bag from me and pack my stuff up without discussion.
He didn’t seem that excited to me:
“Thank you for your email, however, the Earth Day letters to restaurants promotion has expired (4/30/2011) and all of the letters received by then are being processed. We will be shipping the straws promised between now and Wednesday, May 4th. Should you need to communicate with us, please send an email to: info@glassdharma.com.
Thank you,
David Leonhardt
GlassDharma”
I mean, I sent my letters out on 4/19 and was only forwarding a copy of the reply I received, as you requested.
Stallans, that’s great. Will you forward it to Glass Dharma too? David will be excited. He’s collecting these response letters too. This campaign is having some amazing results.
I got an answer from O’Charley’s:
———
Dear Ms. Sloop,
Thank you for your recent letter regarding plastic straws. I appreciate your suggestions and will investigate their viability for our company. I had no idea that paper straws existed! Thanks for the tip. Your letter spurred me to think of other ways O’Charley’s could be more friendly to the environment and I will research some of those possibilities also.
Thank you for being a guest of O’Charley’s!
Mickey Mills
VP of Operations
O’Charley’s Inc.
P: 615-782-8841
C: 615-767-1621
mickey.mills@ocharleys.com
Mirza Molberg
xxxxxxx
April 30, 2011
Back To The Land
142 7th Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 768-5654
Dear Back To The Land
Thank you for providing wonderful organic and natural groceries to the Park Slope and Brooklyn community. It is always a pleasure to stop by when I am in the area, or to travel to your store for specialty items. In honor of Earth Day/Earth Life, I am asking that you look at an eco-friendly alternative to the plastic straws used in your juice bar.
1) First, please train your servers to ASK customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Most of us don’t use straws at home anyway. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag. Another small thing would be not automatically putting plastic forks/eating utensils and plastic sauce packets in take out and delivery orders. Most people go straight home and don’t need plastic forks.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws like they’ve done at some other local restaurants for the safety of the animals. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma has described a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
I think you will find your customers celebrating your new eco-friendlier changes, should you implement these suggestions. I believe that more earth-friendly practices would be an extra draw for people in the neighborhood. I would much rather patronize a restaurant that is environmentally conscious than one that is not.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are planning to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for all the great food I’ve enjoyed there.
Sincerely,
Mirza Molberg
Mirza Molberg
x
April 30, 2011
Grill’s Delight & Juice Bar
587 5th Ave ?
Brooklyn, NY 11215 (347) 529-5445
Dear Grill’s Delight:
The convenience of your location for tasty all fruit smoothies and juices is excellent. Thank you for providing healthy options in an area where they are otherwise unavailable. In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ASK customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Most of us don’t use straws at home anyway. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag. Another small thing would be not automatically putting plastic forks/eating utensils and plastic sauce packets in take out and delivery orders. Most people go straight home and don’t need plastic forks.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws like they’ve done at some other local restaurants for the safety of the animals. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma has described a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
I think you will find your customers celebrating your new eco-friendlier changes, should you implement these suggestions. I believe that more earth-friendly practices would be an extra draw for people in the neighborhood. I would much rather patronize a restaurant that is environmentally conscious than one that is not.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are planning to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for all the great food I’ve enjoyed there.
Sincerely,
Mirza Molberg
Colleen Rogers
PRIVATE
April 15, 2011
Applebees
8800 Main Street
Birch Run, MI 48415
989.624.4307
E-mail: unknown
Dear Applebees:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you good food.
Sincerely,
Colleen Rogers
Note: I twice tried calling the phone number that I found on various websites for Fat Tuesdays and it just went to what sounded like a fax machine after about 10 rings. Therefore, I was not able to reach anyone to ask for an email contact for their restaurant/bar.
Fat Tuesdays
809 Washington St
Vancouver WA 98661
Ph.: 360-735-7199
Email: Unknown
April 29, 2011
Attn: Fat Tuesdays Management
We are excited to have discovered your establishment. It is difficult in this area to find cornbread that does not have too much sugar in it, but yours passes the test.
Your service is also excellent and that leads me to my reason for writing today. At my initial visit to your establishment I forgot to request no straw with my soft drink. When my drink was brought out with a plastic straw I thought, “Oh well. I’ll have to remember next time.” However, your wait staff is so attentive that when my drink started to run low, I was surprised with another beverage and another plastic straw. For the sake of the environment, would you please consider making straws a “by request only” item? You could train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Everyone will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need or want this disposable plastic item in the first place. Not only would this help our planet by reducing the number of natural resources needed to produce and distribute plastic straws, the less straws you give out, the less money you have to spend buying straws! Furthermore, plastic straws are used for such a short period of time, but stay in the landfill forever if we are fortunate enough for plastic waste to make it to the landfill rather then a beach, the ocean or the stomachs of unsuspecting wildlife.
I would also encourage you to look into using alternatives to plastic straws. One solution is paper straws. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable (I do hope you are composting your food waste!) and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/. Another option is to participate in Glass Dharma’s glass straw upgrade program (please visit http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html for details).
Thank you for taking the time to read this and to consider my request. I look forward to seeing changes in an upcoming visit to your establishment!
Sincerely,
Robbie NXXXX-JXXXX
CC: http://myplasticfreelife.com
earthday@glassdharma.com
Here is the letter I mailed out today!
April 28, 2011
North China Buffet
300 Bell Boulevard
Belleville, ON
K8P 5H7
(613)771-9988
Dear Management:
I have been enjoying the deliscious variety of foods and freindly atmosphere at your restraunt for a few years now and have alway had a good experience. As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also your friendliness towards children. There is only one thing that troubles me, and that’s the disposable straws that you serve us with our coconut water. We try not to use disposable plastic because it’s wasteful. I most often forget to ask our server ahead of time not to bring us plastic straws and our drinks arrive with straws, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1)First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2)Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. Greenshift sells all sorts of earth friendy restaurant supplies here:
3)And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. Here is a company that sells glass straws. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the great food and friendly atmosphere.
Sincerely,
Amanda
name address contact
April 25, 2011
La Casita
465 East Fry Boulevard, Sierra Vista – (520) 458-2376
Dear La Casita:
I recently went to your restaurant and loved the food. Your dishes are spot on and I’m sure I’ll be back frequently! Thanks for making our girl’s day out a little more delicious!
There is only one thing that troubles me, and that’s the disposable straws that you serve us with our drinks. I try not to use disposable plastic because it’s so wasteful. While our drinks did not arrive with straws IN them, the waitress simply placed wrapped straws at each glass, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) Simply, please ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t plan on using straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores asking whether customers want a bag. This will also save you money….wasted plastic is money out of your pocket!
2) Another great option is considering a switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. Greenshift sells all sorts of earth friendy restaurant supplies here:
3)You might also consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. Here is a company that sells glass straws. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea. It is dishwasher safe, made of sturdy glass (think Pyrex), made in the U.S.A., and comes with a lifetime guarantee. I highly recommend at least trying one for personal use.
I appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the quality dishes and friendly atmosphere.
Sincerely,
Dana
Thank YOU Beth and thank you Glass Dharma! I mailed my letters off last Friday and today I received my glass straws and wonderful letter from G.D.! That was fast!!!!! I plan to continue to communicate with local businesses and carry on the campaign.
Buffalo Wild Wings
3575 West Stetson Avenue
Hemet, CA 92545-9740
(951) 925-6111
To Whom it May Concern: 4/26/11
This is just a friendly letter asking you to do a very simple, yet very important thing!
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
We are all trying to be Earth conscious, and Im sure your establishment wouldn’t mind joining the ranks all you have to do is please retrain your staff to ask customers if they would like a straw, rather than automatically just putting one in their glass before it is served. This saves on plastic use, and in the long run saves you money!
Please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html)
Thank you so much for taking a moment out of your day to read this, your efforts are appreciated!
Respectfully Submitted,
Emily Harper
Millie’s Restaurant
2020 East Florida Avenue
Hemet, CA 92544-4727
(951) 658-9068
To Whom it May Concern: 4/26/11
This is just a friendly letter asking you to do a very simple, yet very important thing!
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
We are all trying to be Earth conscious, and Im sure your establishment wouldn’t mind joining the ranks. all you have to do is please retrain your staff to ask customers if they would like a straw, rather than automatically just putting one in their glass before it is served. This saves on plastic use, and in the long run saves you money!
Please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html)
Thank you so much for taking a moment out of your day to read this, your efforts are appreciated!
Respectfully Submitted,
Emily Harper
Chili’s Restaraunt
2100 W Florida Av
Hemet, CA 92545-3642
(951) 652-2777
To Whom it May Concern: 4/26/11
This is just a friendly letter asking you to do a very simple, yet very important thing!
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
We are all trying to be Earth conscious, and I’m sure your establishment wouldn’t mind joining the ranks. all you have to do is please retrain your staff to ask customers if they would like a straw, rather than automatically just putting one in their glass before it is served. This saves on plastic use, and in the long run saves you money!
Please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html)
Thank you so much for taking a moment out of your day to read this, your efforts are appreciated!
Respectfully Submitted,
Emily Harper
4480 Thornbush Dr
emflo@hotmail.com
Hemet, CA. 92545
760.799.0601
Duke’s Steakhouse
360 North San Jacinto Street
Hemet, CA 92543-3110
(951) 260-0335
To Whom it May Concern: 4/26/11
This is just a friendly letter asking you to do a very simple, yet very important thing!
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
We are all trying to be Earth conscious, and Im sure your establishment wouldn’t mind joining the ranks: all you have to do is please retrain your staff to ask customers if they would like a straw, rather than automatically just putting one in their glass before it is served. This saves on plastic use, and in the long run saves you money!
Please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html)
Thank you so much for taking a moment out of your day to read this, your efforts are appreciated!
Respectfully Submitted,
Emily Harper
Gena Alltizer
April 27, 2011
Millie’s Restaurant Bakery
2020 E. Florida Ave
Hemet, CA 92544-4727
951-658-9068
428@millies.com
Dear Millie’s:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal, except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the good food and service that you provide.
Sincerely,
Gena Alltizer
Gena Alltizer
April 27, 2011
Mimi’s Cafe
1778 W. Florida Ave
Hemet, CA 92543
951-929-2201
mimis_121@mimiscafe.com
Dear Chili’s:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal, except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the good food and service that you provide.
Sincerely,
Gena Alltizer
Gena Alltizer
April 27, 2011
Chili’s Bar & Grill
2100 W. Florida Ave
Hemet, CA 92545
951-652-2777
C01093@chilis.com
Dear Chili’s:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal, except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the good food and service that you provide.
Sincerely,
Gena Alltizer
oops forgot to change the address on the last one. Steer N Stein is at 3104 West Florida Ave, Hemet, CA 92545
Gena Alltizer
April 27, 2011
Steer N Stein
2200 W Florida Ave # 410
Hemet, CA 92545-3670
951-658-6838
(would not give me email, says manager does not use it)
Dear Steer N Stein:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal, except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the good food and service that you provide.
Sincerely,
Gena Alltizer
Gena Alltizer
April 27, 2011
Samurai Sushi
2200 W Florida Ave # 410
Hemet, CA 92545-3670
ichipark@gmail.com
Dear Samurai Sushi:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal, except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the good food and service that you provide.
Sincerely,
Gena Alltizer
Very unoriginal, but hopefully they will listen.
Anne Lawrie
27 April 2011
Tara Thai
245 E. Bell Road – Suite 9
Phoenix, AZ 85024
To Whom It May Concern:
As a long-time customer of your restaurant I not only appreciate the delicious food and welcoming service, I also appreciate your use of real dishes, flatware, and glasses. There is one thing I am bothered by, however. This is the fact that plastic straws automatically arrive in each glass. In honor of Earth Day I am writing to ask you to change your straw policy. They are such a waste, and plastic is so very toxic to our environment.
Please ask your servers to inquire if customers want a straw before adding it to the glass. Perhaps you could, further, switch to paper straws for any customers who wish to have a straw for their drink. Paper straws won’t end up floating around in our world forever like plastic straws. If you are interested, one company that offers such paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
Thank you for listening to my concern. I hope that you’ll consider the future health of our planet when making your business decisions.
Sincerely,
Anne
P.S. I am in no way affiliated with Aardvark. It is simply one company I’m aware of. Hope to see you soon!
Sushi Deli
135 Broadway, San Diego, CA
(619) 233-3072
Dear Sushi Deli:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal, except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compost-able and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and the organic meals and good food you provide.
Sincerely,
David William
One of my favorite restaurants under my yoga studio…..
Meg Neil
2635 Logan Ave.
San Diego, CA 92113
meg.neil@gmail.com
April 28, 2011
Naked Cafe
3555 Rosecrans St # 109
San Diego, CA 92110-3232
(619) 226-7866
Dear Naked Cafe:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal, except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and the organic meals and good food you provide.
Sincerely,
Meg Neil
Great promotion! I LOVE my glass dharma straws and give them as gifts every year. I’m converting all my friends, one birthday at a time! I went for a mixture of local and national chain restaurants. Here are my letters:
April 27, 2011
Kerby Lane Cafe
Marketing/Catering/Food Development
2111 Dickson Dr. Ste A?
Austin, TX. 78704?
512-448-3330
Dear Kerby Lane Cafe,
As a satisfied customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at Kerby Lane, I’ll have a waste-free meal, except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. Recently, while dining at the Central location I forgot to ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, she stuck a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years. I don’t need or want one. Usually, I remember to bring my own straw, and if I don’t then I just go sans straw for my meal.
I realize my experience may be an isolated incident and not systemic of your entire restaurant policy, but I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
Please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t need straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place.
I greatly admire your company’s commitment to using locally grown food. I would love it if you went the extra mile to switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, generating more waste and potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
Finally, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been using a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the about a year now so I don’t have to waste plastic. I absolutely love my glass straw. It is dishwasher safe, made of sturdy glass (think Pyrex), made in the U.S.A., and comes with a lifetime guarantee. I highly recommend at least trying one for personal use. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), offering customers a discount for bringing their own straw or the option of purchasing one with their meal, which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the delicious food (I want to make love to your hummus), excellent service, and community involvement.
Sincerely,
Sarah A. Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 27, 2011
Sammy Citrano
George’s Restaurant
925 Speight Ave.
Waco, TX 76706?
254-753-1421
Dear Mr. Citrano,
As a long time satisfied customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at George’s, I’ll have a waste-free meal, except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. Recently, while dining at the Speight location I forgot to ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, she stuck a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years. I don’t need or want one. Usually, I remember to bring my own straw, and if I don’t then I just go sans straw for my meal.
I realize my experience may be an isolated incident and not systemic of your entire restaurant policy, but I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
Please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t need straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. In addition, I would love it if you went the extra mile to switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, generating more waste and potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
Finally, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been using a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the about a year now so I don’t have to waste plastic. I absolutely love my glass straw. It is dishwasher safe, made of sturdy glass (think Pyrex), made in the U.S.A., and comes with a lifetime guarantee. I give them as gifts, and even my best friend’s four-year-old son loves to use his glass straw. I highly recommend at least trying one for personal use. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), offering customers a discount for bringing their own straw or the option of purchasing one with their meal, which I think is a great idea. I also urge you to examine any plastic waste generated in your To Go orders, switch to compostable alternatives, and ask customers if they need a plastic cutlery rather than automatically providing it.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the delicious food (I love Kyle’s Chicken Tenders!) and excellent service.
Sincerely,
Sarah A. Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 27, 2011
FreeBirds World Burrito
Headquarters
6475 Christie Ave, Suite 300
Emeryville, CA 94608
Dear FreeBirds,
As a long time satisfied customer, I love your food. I’ve been a loyal customer since my freshman year in college at Texas A&M, back when there were only two sizes of burritos and there were no salads. I appreciate that when I order a burrito to go, it will be wrapped in aluminum foil in a paper bag – a plastic free lunch – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. Usually, I remember to bring my own straw, and if I don’t then I just go sans straw for my meal.
I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy. I would love it if you made the to switch to paper straws. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, generating more waste and potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
Please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been using a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the about a year now so I don’t have to waste plastic. I absolutely love my glass straw. It is dishwasher safe, made of sturdy glass (think Pyrex), made in the U.S.A., and comes with a lifetime guarantee. I give them as gifts, and even my best friend’s four-year-old son loves to use his glass straw. I highly recommend at least trying one for personal use. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), offering customers a discount for bringing their own straw or the option of purchasing one with their meal, which I think is a great idea. I also urge you to switch to compostable forks and knives.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the delicious food, excellent service, and community involvement.
Sincerely,
Sarah A. Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 27, 2011
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store?
PO Box 787?
Lebanon, TN 37088-0787?
(800) 333-9566
Dear Cracker Barrel,
As a satisfied customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at Cracker Barrel, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. Recently, while dining at the Harker Heights location I forgot to ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, she stuck a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years. I don’t need or want one. Usually, I remember to bring my own straw, and if I don’t then I just go sans straw for my meal.
I realize my experience may be an isolated incident and not systemic of your entire restaurant policy, but I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
Please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t need straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. In addition, I would love it if you went the extra mile to switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, generating more waste and potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
Finally, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been using a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the about a year now so I don’t have to waste plastic. I absolutely love my glass straw. It is dishwasher safe, made of sturdy glass (think Pyrex), made in the U.S.A., and comes with a lifetime guarantee. I highly recommend at least trying one for personal use. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), offering customers a discount for bringing their own straw or the option of purchasing one with their meal, which I think is a great idea. I also urge you to examine any plastic waste generated in your To Go orders, switch to compostable alternatives, and ask customers if they need a plastic cutlery rather than automatically providing it.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the delicious food (I love your fried apples!) and excellent service.
Sincerely,
Sarah A. Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 27, 2011
Noodles & Company
Central Support Office
520 Zang Street
Suite D
Broomfield, CO 80021
720-214-1900
Dear Noodles & Company,
I lived in Fairfax, Virginia for three years, literally across the street from a Noodles & Company. I fell in love with your food. I recently moved to Texas, where I am anxiously awaiting the opening of your Austin locations. As a satisfied customer, I not only appreciate the quality of your food and vegetarian alternatives, but also the fact that it is served on durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at Noodles & Company, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. Usually, I remember to bring my own straw, and if I don’t then I just go sans straw for my meal.
I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
I would love it if you went the extra mile to switch to paper straws, eliminating disposable plastic altogether from the dine-in meal. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, generating more waste and potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
I also ask that you please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been using a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the about a year now so I don’t have to waste plastic. I absolutely love my glass straw. It is dishwasher safe, made of sturdy glass (think Pyrex), made in the U.S.A., and comes with a lifetime guarantee. I highly recommend at least trying one for personal use. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), offering customers a discount for bringing their own straw or the option of purchasing one with their meal, which I think is a great idea. I also urge you to examine any plastic waste generated in your To Go orders by asking customers if they need a plastic cutlery rather than automatically providing it, switching to compostable alternatives, or offering discounts to customers who provide their own to-go containers.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the delicious food (I love your Pesto Cavatappi) and excellent service.
Sincerely,
Sarah A. Johnson
Oh good! Thanks, Beth!
Here’s mine:
April 27, 2011
Akasaka Japanese Restaurant
457 Paterson Avenue
Wallington, NJ, 07057
201-507-8383
Dear Akasaka,
I have eaten a few times at your restaurant and I am always thrilled by the elegance and deliciousness of your food. I also appreciate the lovely reusable cups and dishes that you serve your food on.
However, the meals I eat at your restaurant are not completely waste-free. The chopsticks you provide me for eating my meal are the disposable wooden ones that I can use once and then throw away. Also, when I order a drink that is not hot tea (water, soda, etc.), I am always given a plastic straw to use whether I ask for one or not. The straw you stick in my drink and then throw away will become plastic waste that lasts for thousands of years.
Today, in honour of Earth Day, I am asking you to change your policy on plastic straws.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I personally do not use straws, but I know of a company called Glass Dharma who sell reusable glass straws. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
I would also greatly appreciate it if you began providing reusable wooden chopsticks to your customers, instead of the disposable wooden ones. They do add to the dishwashing time, but it is better than contributing to deforestation and waste. Furthermore, reusable chopsticks can be bought in a single purchase, whereas you have to continuously purchase disposable chopsticks only to have customers use them and then throw them away.
Please respond to me and let me know what steps you will take. I enjoy going to your restaurant anytime I am in East Rutherford, which happens fairly frequently, and I would prefer for my money to go to a restaurant with the environment’s best interests at heart.
All the very best,
Polina Malamud
Brianna Lopez
address
address
email
April 26, 2011
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers?6312 S. Fiddlers Green Cir., #200N?Greenwood Village, CO 80111?Phone: 303-846-6000
Dear Red Robin,
I have always loved your restaurant and quite often choose you when I’m celebrating a birthday or just having date night with my boyfriend. Every time I go I always get the Freckled Lemonade which comes in a beautiful glass with a plastic straw in it. I have never been asked by a waiter/waitress if I want a straw, it’s always just automatically there. It’s not something I thought there were other options for in the past, but I’ve recently become aware that there are options you have to eliminate making my favorite drink create garbage.
The first and simplest option would be to instruct your waitstaff to ask if a customer wants a straw, not everyone does. That would not only eliminate garbage but also save your company money. Additionally, customers wouldn’t have to pull a wet straw out of their drink as the first thing they do when they sit down.
If the customer does want a straw, like I would, it would be great if there was compostable or paper straws available to use instead of the plastic which doesn’t have the ability to become anything else and isn’t strong enough to use for more than one day.
The absolute best option I think you guys have would be to partner with a company (like Glass Dharma) and offer glass straws to customers. I for one would be thrilled if I could pay a little extra and get a pretty red swirly glass straw which would match the pretty red glass I’m drinking my lemonade from. I know I would be willing to pay more for this and take them with me when I left. It’d be great advertising for your company when your customers used them elsewhere.
Thanks for your time,
Brianna Lopez
Yancy, your letter is perfect. I only included my letter as an example to make it easier for people, but I don’t expect everyone to write the same thing!
Hi Beth,
I hope my letter is okay. Now that I’m looking at what others wrote, I see that everyone basically used the exact same format – and I didn’t. But I think I covered all the points! 🙂
Thanks for this opportunity, to you and Glass Dharma!
Yancy
Contact info deleted for privacy
April 26, 2011
Green Plow Coffee
436 SW 6th St.
Redmond, OR 97756
pat@greenplowcoffee.com
Dear Green Plow staff:
First, I would like to say how much I enjoy your coffee shop. I am a part of the knitting group that meets there on Monday evenings, and I really love visiting your establishment. Your drinks are delicious and your staff is extremely warm and friendly.
I especially love that your shop allows customers to use real dishware instead of disposable cups and that it encourages to-go customers to bring their own mugs. This is a really important issue for me and I’m so pleased to see that it is important to you, as well.
On that note, I am writing to encourage you to take things one step further: to consider changing your straw policy. I would love to see you offer paper straws (not ideal, as they are disposable, but at least they are compostable, unlike plastic straws), and perhaps even start selling glass straws in your shop that customers can purchase and carry with them. Paper straws are available through Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/ and glass straws through Glass Dharma (http://glassdharma.com/).
Finally, I would love to see the staff ask customers if they want a disposable straw, or to see a sign on the counter reminding customers that they can opt to go straw-less. I love to order your Italian sodas, which come in eco-friendly, reusable glass cups, but I often forget to tell the server that I don’t need a straw. I think if other people were reminded that this is an option, many of us would choose to decline the disposable straws.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for considering these ideas. I truly appreciate businesses like yours that support the environment and the community in such a positive manner. Your establishment gives so much back to Redmond, and it is much appreciated!
Sincerely,
Yancy
I avoid plastic packaging. Some of the foods I regularly buy include cereal, granola, rice, nuts, beans, and quick oats. I’ve also purchased couscous, steal cut outs, rolled oats, Bulgar wheat, barley, and nutritional yeast.
Thank you so much for sharing this information with the world…nice to know there are many others out there doing what they can to use little or no plastic in an effort to be kinder to our beloved planet.
Last two. . .
April 25, 2011
23rd Street Brewery
3512 Clinton Parkway
Lawrence, KS 66047
E-mail: matt@brew23.com
Dear 23rd Street Brewery:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your excellent burgers and terrific beer, but also the fact that the meal is served on beautiful, durable dishes with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a low-impact, waste-free meal – except for the disposable plastic straws.
In honor of Earth month, I’m writing to request a change to your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I was recently introduced to very cool glass straws from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
I would really appreciate you letting me know which steps you are willing to take. My KU Journalism class was just in Oakland learning about plastic pollution in the ocean. We realize there is so much plastic in our lives. This change would be really meaningful to the environment and to the community.
Rock Chalk!
Simran Sethi
**
April 25, 2011
Tortas Jaliscos
534 Frontier Rd
Lawrence, KS 66049
No website or e-mail.
http://www2.ljworld.com/marketplace/businesses/tortas_jalisco/
Dear Tortas Jaliscos,
I not only appreciate your delicious food but also the fact that the meal is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a tasty, low-impact meal – except for the disposable plastic straws.
In honor of Earth month, I am writing to request a change to your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I was recently introduced to very cool glass straws from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
I would really appreciate you letting me know which steps you are willing to take. My KU Journalism class was just in Oakland learning about plastic pollution in the ocean. We realize there is so much plastic in our lives. This change would be really meaningful to the environment and to the community.
Thanks for considering this request,
Simran
Three letters. Two more to come.
April 25, 2011
Dempseys Burger Pub
623 Vermont Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Dear Dempseys:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your excellent burgers, terrific beer and commitment to supporting local farmers by sourcing local food but also the fact that the meal is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a low-impact, waste-free meal – except for the disposable plastic straws.
In honor of Earth month, I am writing to request that you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I was recently introduced to very cool glass straws from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
I would really appreciate you letting me know which steps you are willing to take. My KU Journalism class was just in Oakland learning about plastic pollution in the ocean. We realize there is so much plastic in our lives. This change would be really meaningful to the environment and to the community.
My best,
Simran Sethi
* *
April 25, 2011
Chuck Magrel & Rick Martin
Free State Brewing Company
636 Massachusetts Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Dear Chuck and Rick:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your stellar beer and delicious food, but also your commitment to supporting local farmers and the community at large. You know I have sung your establishment’s praises on Oprah and beyond and done my best to support your efforts. Now I have a request. Your beer and food are served on durable dishes with real flatware and you are committed to composting where you can. Yet, there’s one more opportunity to get rid of waste: in your disposable plastic straws.
In honor of Earth month and as part of a larger straw campaign, I’m requesting that you reconsider your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I was recently introduced to very cool glass straws from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
I would really appreciate you letting me know which steps you are willing to take. My Journalism class was just in Oakland learning about plastic pollution in the ocean. We realize there is so much plastic in our lives. This change would be really meaningful to the environment and to the community.
Thanks for considering this request,
Simran
* *
April 25, 2011
Subarna Bhattachan
Zen Zero
811 Massachusetts Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Dear Subarna:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your delicious food but also the fact that the meal is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a tasty, low-impact meal – except for the disposable plastic straws.
In honor of Earth month, I am writing to request that you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I was recently introduced to very cool glass straws from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
I would really appreciate you letting me know which steps you are willing to take. My KU Journalism class was just in Oakland learning about plastic pollution in the ocean. We realize there is so much plastic in our lives. This change would be really meaningful to the environment and to the community.
Thanks for considering my request,
Simran
Khaleelah Jones
April 25, 2011
The Hornet
Attn: Sean Workman, GM
76 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: 303-777-7676
Dear Mr. Workman:
As a long-time customer at the Hornet, I not only love your food, but the Hornet’s continuing commitment to helping the environment. I would like to suggest another initiative for the Hornet to look into: getting rid of disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one, but unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I thank for your attention to this matter and for running such a great place to eat!
Sincerely,
Khaleelah E. Jones
ALSO SENDING TO:
Ogden Street South
103 South Ogden Street
Denver, CO 80209-2319
The Spot Denver
98 South Pennsylvania Street
Denver, CO 80209
JP Licks
659 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Dear JP Licks:
As long-time customers, my family not only appreciates your ice cream and food but also the fact that you are wonderful community members. As spring (and iced coffee/tea season) approaches, we have been thinking more about what we can do to reduce waste. We have recently noticed a movement away from disposable plastic straws, and we thought we would ask if you could help discourage their use. I don’t need or want one. But I notice that without a visible suggestion or alternative, many people take a plastic straw without even thinking about it.
In honor of Earth Day, we are writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, we would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And second, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their drink/ice cream and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. We admire a woman who has been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that she doesn’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea. We are planning to get some Dharma straws for ourselves for Easter.
Sincerely,
Alicia
(all five posted together)
Nicole Krempasky
x
April 23, 2011
Red Hot
349 7th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 369-2577
Dear Red Hot:
I not only appreciate your excellent all-vegan food selections, but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I am trying to eliminate single-use, disposable plastic from my life and our environment. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will end up in our landfill, on our beautiful local beaches or worse, in seabirds, fish, and animals.? While it may seem insignificant, take a second to think about how many drinks you serve in a day, multiply that by how many days you are open a year, and then multiply that by how many restaurants are doing the same thing. You can see how even this very small piece of plastic can become a big problem. In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy
1) First, please train your servers to ASK customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Most of us don’t use straws at home anyway. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag. Another small thing would be not automatically putting plastic forks/eating utensils and plastic sauce packets in take-out and delivery orders. Most people go straight home and don’t need plastic forks.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws like they’ve done at some other local restaurants for the safety of the animals. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark. https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma has described a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.?
I think you will find your customers celebrating your new eco-friendlier changes, should you implement these suggestions. There are quite a few tasty vegan restaurants in NYC, Brooklyn, and even the Prospect Heights/Park Slope neighborhoods. I know that greener practices would influence my choice to patronize Red Hot more frequently over other restaurants, and I believe other earth-conscious vegans and vegetarians would do the same.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are planning to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for all the great food I’ve enjoyed there.
Sincerely,
Nicole Krempasky
+++
Nicole Krempasky
x
April 23, 2011
Dao Palate
329 Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 638-1995
Dear Dao Palate:
I not only appreciate your excellent all-vegan food selections, but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I am trying to eliminate single-use, disposable plastic from my life and our environment. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my Thai Iced Tea (or whatever drink) automatically, generating plastic waste that will end up in our landfill, on our beautiful local beaches or worse, in seabirds, fish, and animals. While it may seem insignificant, take a second to think about how many drinks you serve in a day, multiply that by how many days you are open a year, and then multiply that by how many restaurants are doing the same thing. You can see how even this very small piece of plastic can become a big problem. In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy
1) First, please train your servers to ASK customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Most of us don’t use straws at home anyway. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag. Another small thing would be not automatically putting plastic forks/eating utensils and plastic sauce packets in take-out and delivery orders. Most people go straight home and don’t need plastic forks.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws like they’ve done at some other local restaurants for the safety of the animals. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark. https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma has described a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.?
I think you will find your customers celebrating your new eco-friendlier changes, should you implement these suggestions. There are quite a few tasty vegan restaurants in NYC, Brooklyn, and even the Prospect Heights/Park Slope neighborhoods. I know that greener practices would influence my choice to patronize Dao Palate more frequently over other restaurants, and I believe other earth-conscious vegans and vegetarians would do the same.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are planning to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for all the great food I’ve enjoyed there.
Sincerely,
Nicole Krempasky
+++
Nicole Krempasky
x
April 23, 2011
V-Spot
156 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Info@thevspotcafe.com
(718) 622-2275
Dear V-Spot:
I not only appreciate your excellent all-vegan food selections, but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I am trying to eliminate single-use, disposable plastic from my life and our environment. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will end up in our landfill, on our beautiful local beaches or worse, in seabirds, fish, and animals.? While it may seem insignificant, take a second to think about how many drinks you serve in a day, multiply that by how many days you are open a year, and then multiply that by how many restaurants are doing the same thing. You can see how even this very small piece of plastic can become a big problem. In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy
1) First, please train your servers to ASK customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Most of us don’t use straws at home anyway. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws like they’ve done at some other local restaurants for the safety of the animals. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark. https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma has described a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.?
I think you will find your customers celebrating your new eco-friendlier changes, should you implement these suggestions. There are quite a few tasty vegan restaurants in NYC, Brooklyn, and even the Prospect Heights/Park Slope neighborhoods. I know that greener practices would influence my choice to patronize V-Spot more frequently over other restaurants, and I believe other earth-conscious vegans and vegetarians would do the same.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are planning to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for all the great food I’ve enjoyed there.
Sincerely,
Nicole Krempasky
+++
Nicole Krempasky
x
April 23, 2011
Vegetarian Palate
258 Flatbush Ave
Brooklyn 11217
(718) 623-8808
Dear Vegetarian Palate:
I not only appreciate your excellent all-vegan food selections, but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I am trying to eliminate single-use, disposable plastic from my life and our environment. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will end up in our landfill, on our beautiful local beaches or worse, in seabirds, fish, and animals.? While it may seem insignificant, take a second to think about how many drinks you serve in a day, multiply that by how many days you are open a year, and then multiply that by how many restaurants are doing the same thing. You can see how even this very small piece of plastic can become a big problem. In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy
1) First, please train your servers to ASK customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Most of us don’t use straws at home anyway. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag. Another small thing would be not automatically putting plastic forks/eating utensils and plastic sauce packets in take-out and delivery orders. Most people go straight home and don’t need plastic forks.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws like they’ve done at some other local restaurants for the safety of the animals. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark. https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma has described a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.?
I think you will find your customers celebrating your new eco-friendlier changes, should you implement these suggestions. There are quite a few tasty vegan restaurants in NYC, Brooklyn, and even the Prospect Heights/Park Slope neighborhoods. I know that greener practices would influence my choice to patronize Vegetarian Palate more frequently over other restaurants, and I believe other earth-conscious vegans and vegetarians would do the same.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are planning to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for all the great food I’ve enjoyed there.
Sincerely,
Nicole Krempasky
+++
Nicole Krempasky
x
April 23, 2011
Scoops
624 Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
(718) 282-5904
Dear Scoops:
I appreciate your excellent all-vegan Ital food selections, and I frequent Scoops to get your vegan combo plates, wings, and ice cream. The one thing that deters myself and my friends from getting food at Scoops more frequently is the impact that our meals have on the environment, eating out of all pretty much disposable and non-biodegradable/non-compostable packaging.
I am trying to eliminate single-use, disposable plastic and styrofoam from my life and our environment. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me a straw, they stick one in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will end up in our landfill, on our beautiful local beaches or worse, in seabirds, fish, and animals. And while I know I can bring my own take out container for the food, I am not always coming from home, and most people don’t think about doing this. While it may seem insignificant, take a second to think about how many drinks and plates of food you serve in a day, multiply that by how many days you are open a year, and then multiply that by how many restaurants are doing the same thing. You can see how this plastic and styrofoam can become a big problem.
1) First, please train your servers to ASK customers if they want a straw for our juice and shakes instead of automatically giving them one. Most of us don’t use straws at home anyway. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws like they’ve done at some other local restaurants for the safety of the animals. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark. https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/ It would also be great if you switched to compostable and biodegradable take out containers.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma has described a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.?
I think you will find your customers celebrating your new eco-friendlier changes, should you implement these suggestions. There are quite a few tasty vegan restaurants in NYC, Brooklyn, and even Prospect Park/Flatbush neighborhoods. I know that greener practices would influence my choice to patronize Scoops more frequently over other restaurants, and I believe other earth-conscious vegans and vegetarians would do the same.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are planning to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for all the great food I’ve enjoyed there.
Sincerely,
Nicole Krempasky
P.Terry’s Burger Stand
Barton Springs and S. Lamar
404 S. Lamar Blvd.
Austin, Texas 78704
pterry@pterrys.com
Sandy’s Hamburger
603 Barton Springs Rd
Austin, TX 78704
no email
(512) 478-6322
Wahoo’s Taco
1722 South Congress
Austin, Texas 78704
gdellc@wahoos.biz
Chick Fil A
500 E Ben White Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
no email
Taco Cabana
9705 Manchaca Rd
Austin, TX 78748
no email
512 280-5626
To Whom It May Concern,
In honor of Earth Day
I really enjoy taking my kids to eat out at your restaurant.The staff is always happy and cheerful making it very kid friendly. I thank you for your late hours that feeds my fast food addict husband.
This Earth Day I am praying that restaurants change to biodegradable containers instead of styrofoam. Also, I would like to take the time to ask you to reconsider your straw policy. Sometimes we think what is the harm in one straw, well that it is not only one straw its not how many drinks do you serve. First, I would like to suggest to you to switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
Price is always an issue right? Well then consider training your staff to ask if people would like a straw with their drink, you may be surprised how many may say no thank you.
I thank you for your time and consideration. I would like to hear from you as to what changes you are willing to make.
Sincerely,
Someone concerned for the Earh
Dear Infusion Tea,
I am writing to you on this Earth Day to let you know about two cool options you could use to replace plastic straws. Besides the good food, atmosphere and great teas, I have always appreciated your efforts to “go green” (containers, local food). Instead of plastic straws, you could offer customers paper straws: http:://www.aardvarkstraws.com. Or offer an “upgrade” and sell a sturdy reusable glass straw with the drink. They glass straws are so sturdy they have a lifetime guarantee (my friend’s baby uses one!) and they’re easy to clean.
Straws are so bad for the animals Sea World tries to keep them out.
Let me know what you think!
Longtime customer & tea lover,
Melissa Brown
email
p.s. Oh yeah! the glass straw website!
glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/.whats-on-menu.html
or glass dharma.com
Here is letter number one:
Revelations Cafe
112 North Main Street
Fairfield, IA 52556
revelations@lisco.com
Dear Revelations Cafe,
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your fantastic food but also the fact that it is served on nice, durable dishes, with real flatware and cups. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. Automatically sticking a straw in my smoothies, etc, generates plastic waste that will last for thousands of years, and for that reason I am trying to go plastic-free as much as possible.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will have the chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have heard of great glass straws from a company called Glass Dharma. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I really appreciate your restaurant! Thank you for the great local Maharishi Vedic Organic items and the awesome wood-fired pizza and fabulous atmosphere. Revelations is my favorite place to eat out at on the Fairfield Square.
Sincerely,
N
Here are my letters!
April 22, 2011
Country’s BBQ
2016 12th Ave
Columbus, GA 31901
Dear Country’s BBQ:
I love your food! I have been coming to your restaurant for as long as I can remember, especially the one on Mercury Drive. I love everything on the menu, particularly the ribs. I always get great service and enjoy my meal. There is only one thing that has ever kept my experience at Country’s from being great. It’s the fact that you give out plastic straws with every single drink. I don’t need or want one. Every time I have visited a location, the server automatically assumes that I want a straw. This has never nor will it ever be the case. In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the free meals on my birthday and good food the rest of the year.
Sincerely,
LH
April 22, 2011
Red Robin
6312 S. Fiddlers Green Cir., #200N
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Dear Red Robin:
I love your food! The burgers are great and the fries are even better. I also love that you make two different vegetarian patties available for your customers. It’s wonderful that you are trying to accommodate people making different food choices. You are so accommodating to the wants of your customers, but there is one area you are lacking in your customer service and it’s the fact that you assume people will want to use a plastic straw. I don’t need or want one. Every time I have visited a location, the server automatically assumes that I want a straw. This has never nor will it ever be the case. In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the free meals on my birthday and good food the rest of the year.
Sincerely,
LH
Here’s my letter!
Sunset Grill & Tap
130 Brighton Ave
Allston, MA 02134
Dear Sunset Grill,
Ever since I discovered your amazing selection of beer and delicious vegan burrito, I have been a very happy costumer at your restaurant, as well as at Sunset Cantina. As an environmentally conscious eater, I’m glad that your food is served on real dishes and that you have real flatware, something that can be sometimes hard to find in the fast-food packed streets of Allston-Brighton. Eating a waste-free meal is important to me, which is why I’m writing about your use of disposable, neon-colored plastic straws. In general I don’t like drinking through straws, and while they may look pretty and colorful for the duration of my trip to the restaurant, they will be thrown away and lead to plastic waste that will not biodegrade, leaving behind a legacy for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. (I know for myself and my father, we generally take out our straws so we can chug our water faster, I’m sure we’re not the only ones!) Other customers will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. This is similar to grocery stores asking if customers want bags, which has helped reduce an awful lot of plastic bag waste!
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. For the straw-inclined consumers, a company called Glass Dharma offers glass straws that are unbreakable and infinitely reusable. Now that’s a legacy I can live with! On their web site, they describe a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html).
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I definitely appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the delicious burrito, amazing selection of beer, and the all-important taco lunch bar.
Sincerely,
AJP
Noel Phillips
cello_pandora@yahoo.com
April 20, 2011
Denny’s
5025 Central Avenue NE
Columbia Heights, MN 55421
Dear Denny’s:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the free meals on my birthday and good food the rest of the year.
Sincerely,
Noel M Phillips
Letters also sent to
1 – LaCasita
5058 Central Ave NE
Minneapolis MN 55421
2-Red Robin
1090 Gramse Road
Shoreview MN 55126
3- Annie’s Parlour
313 14th Avenue SE
Minneapolis MN 55414
4-Sally’s Saloon& Eatary
712 Washington Ave SE
Minneapolis MN 55414
Melissa Brown
somewhere
Whole Foods Headquarters
re. Green initiative
550 Bowie St.
Austin, TX
78703
Dear Whole Foods Market, Green Initiative,
I am currently living close to your Lamar store and I think of getting a fresh mixed juice as a bit of a treat. Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to get one without plastic. My Klean Kanteen thermos could not be used – sanitation issues – and of course one must drink a mixed drink with a straw. Next time I will bring a glass jar and see if that will work. But what about the straw?
In honor of Earth Day I am writing to ask you to offer a “greener” straw.
Please consider either offering paper straws in place of the plastic (they can be found at http://www.aardvarkstraws.com). Or, offer glass straws for sale at the counter or as a drink upgrade. http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html Which would be a great idea – they are so sturdy they are guaranteed for life!
Please let me know what steps you are willing to take. I appreciate the many steps you take to lessen your impact on the environment.
Melissa Brown
email
And my last set of two is to Applebees. See my previous comments for the Olive Garden.
April 20, 2011
Applebees Restaurant
10172 SE 82nd Ave
Happy Valley, OR 97086
Applebees
5330 West Main Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49009-3304
Dear Applebees:
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your straw policies. I have noticed that many restaurants, including Applebees, have a habit of serving cold drinks with a straw already in the glass or already unwrapped. The impacts of plastic on the environment, regardless of the size, will contaminate our environment and wildlife for centuries to come. Most people don’t believe that a small straw makes an impact in either direction but every movement must start with the smallest steps. I am including a list of possible suggestions on ways you can made a difference starting today.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have found a company called Glass Dharma that makes reusable, glass straws. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
I’ll look forward to visiting again someday and see if any changes have been made.
Sincerely,
Sarah Arkwright
My second two are going to two different Olive Gardens. One is in Oregon and one is in Michigan. I actually don’t go to national chain restaurants at all anymore and the last times I did was last year when I visited family back in Michigan. I noticed that many of the conservation and recycling practices I take for granted in Portland are non-existent back there so I wanted to reach out and put a but in the ear of a restaurant that may not otherwise hear from a different opinion.
April 20, 2011
Olive Garden
8700 Se Sunnyside
Clackamas, OR 97015
Olive Garden
6700 Westnedge Ave S
Portage, MI 49002
Dear Olive Garden:
My family is a frequent visitor of the Olive Garden all over the country. I am writing to you in regards to your practice of giving straws to any customer ordering a cold drink. Many people see a plastic straw as a minor piece of trash that couldn’t possibly impact our environment but plastic in any form is having a dangerous and sad impact on our world and its inhabitants. However for busy establishment such as the Olive Garden, a small change to your straw policies can and will make a large impact on the environment.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have found a company called Glass Dharma that makes reusable, glass straws. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
I’ll look forward to visiting again someday and see if any changes have been made.
Sincerely,
Sarah Arkwright
Here’s my first one. I changed the intro to make it more personal but the steps are very well worded so I’m keeping them the same.
April 20, 2011
Paddy’s Bar and Grill
65 SW Yamhill
Portland, OR 97204
Dear Paddy’s:
I stopped into your restaurant last week for a late night dinner. I was very saddened to see that you seem to have a policy of automatically giving straws to the customers when they order cold drinks. I’m not sure if you are aware of how harmful plastic is to the future of our environment but even the simplest policy changes can make a world of difference. Since most people don’t even consider the impact of straws on the environment I wanted to point out the issue to you.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have found a company called Glass Dharma that makes reusable, glass straws. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
I’ll look forward to visiting again someday and see if any changes have been made.
Sincerely,
Sarah Arkwright
Sarah.arkwright@gmail.com
Yeah, those are copies of my original letters. If they get the same letters I’d think they’d be more likely to brush it off. Just a thought.
Hey Tracey and Stephen, are you both sending the exact same letter? I wouldn’t send the exact same letter to the same address.
April 20, 2011
Applebees
14 Manchester Rd
Derry, NH 03038
Dear Applebees:
I have visited your restaurants regularly over the past few years. I enjoy your good pricing as well as your food and drinks. For this reason I want to write you a letter hopefully inspiring you to become more earth friendly in honor of the upcoming Earth Day. Plastic has becoming a very popular topic when it comes to being more Earth-friendly. This is usually represented through plastic bags. Another high-frequency plastic item that goes under the radar is plastic drinking straws.
I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
I’m sure there are many straws that pass through your restaurant. Servers usually automatically give straws either in the drink with a little paper spot still left on, or automatically place a bunch of straws on the table. In order to prevent so much plastic from being used, servers should ask people if they want a straw or not. Losing the automatic straw giving gives people a chance to THINK about having a straw, rather than mindlessly using it because it’s there.
Also there are a couple alternatives to regular straw use. For instance there are compostable straws available through places like Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/. There are also programs such as menu upgrading that allows customers to pay extra for reusable straws and/or takeout containers (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html).
I am hoping that writing you this letter will help open your eyes to the potential a restaurant can have to be Earth-friendly. There are many other ways restaurants can cause less impact. Again, I enjoy eating at your restaurants and will continue to in the future perhaps even more frequently if you decide to implement some Earth-friendly changes.
Sincerely,
Tracey
Oops – #2
April 19, 2011
Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar
505 Glen Cheek Drive
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
Dear Grills:
As one of the best places for seafood in our area, I’m sure you appreciate the importance of healthy oceans and the creatures that live in them. In honor of upcoming Earth Day, I’m writing to ask you to take one small step to help support the environment we all depend on. As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the quality of the service, except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I am trying to eliminate single-use, disposable plastic. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will end up in our landfill, on our beautiful beaches or worse, in sea birds, fish, and animals.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Most of us don’t use straws when we drink at home. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws like they’ve done at our Orlando neighbor Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the safety of the animals. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma has described a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for all the good food I’ve enjoyed there.
Sincerely,
Eve Stavros
#5
April 19, 2011
Olive Garden
205 E Merritt Island Causeway
Merritt Island, FL 32952
Dear Olive Garden:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I am trying to eliminate single-use, disposable plastic. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will end up in our landfill, on our beautiful beaches or worse, in sea birds and animals.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Most of us don’t use straws in our drinks at home, so why should we need them when we dine out? Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws like they’ve done at our Orlando neighbor Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the safety of the animals. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma has described a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for all the good food I’ve enjoyed there.
Sincerely,
Eve Stavros
#4
April 19, 2011
Dana James, Manager
Rusty’s Seafood & Oyster Bar
628 Glen Cheek Drive
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
djames@rustysseafood.com
Dear Ms. James:
As one of the best places for seafood in our area, I’m sure you appreciate the importance of healthy oceans and the creatures that live in them. In honor of upcoming Earth Day, I’m writing to ask you to take one small step to help support the environment we all depend on. As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the quality of the service, except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I am trying to eliminate single-use, disposable plastic. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will end up in our landfill, on our beautiful beaches or worse, in sea birds, fish, and animals.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Most of us don’t use straws when we drink at home. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws like they’ve done at our Orlando neighbor Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the safety of the animals. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma has described a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for all the good food I’ve enjoyed there.
#3
April 19, 2011
Florida’s Seafood Bar & Grill
480 West Cocoa Beach Cswy. (520)
Cocoa Beach, Florida 32931
info@floridas-seafood.com
Dear Florida’s Seafood Bar & Grill:
As one of the best places for seafood in our area, I’m sure you appreciate the importance of healthy oceans and the creatures that live in them. In honor of upcoming Earth Day, I’m writing to ask you to take one small step to help support the environment we all depend on. As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the quality of the service, except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I am trying to eliminate single-use, disposable plastic. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will end up in our landfill, on our beautiful beaches or worse, in sea birds, fish, and animals.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws like they’ve done at our Orlando neighbor Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the safety of the animals. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma has described a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for all the good food I’ve enjoyed there.
Sincerely,
Eve Stavros
How spectacular!!! I’m in –
#1
April 19, 2011
Jim Pinter
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
60 Palmetto Ave.
Merritt Island, FL 32953
Dear Mr. Pinter
I am such a fan and have been a long-time customer. I not only appreciate your excellent food but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’d have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I am trying to eliminate single-use, disposable plastic from my life and our environment. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will end up in our landfill, on our beautiful Florida beaches or worse, in sea birds, fish and animals.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Most of us don’t use straws at home anyway. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws like they’ve done at our Orlando neighbor Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the safety of the animals. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma has described a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for all the good food I’ve enjoyed there.
Sincerely,
Eve Stavros
NY & C Pizza
1120 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403
April 19, 2011
Dear NY &C:
You must already know that Los Angeles is a place where great pizza can be hard to find – yet here you are. East coast transplants like me are very happy you opened your doors in Santa Monica. I know my entire office is thrilled when we order pizzas up from you all and that they also like the vibe at your location.
Since you seem like the kind of hip place that would be on the forefront of environmental initiatives, I’m writing to suggest you join the effort to eliminate the use of plastic straws. Don’t get me wrong, I love a sip of ice cold Coke through a straw along with a perfect slice of cheese pizza, but, sadly, plastic straws and the accompanying paper that they’re wrapped in are wasteful and bad for the environment.
There are, however, some alternatives that I hope you will consider. Thanks for taking a moment to look them over here:
* Train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
* Switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
* Participate in an upgrade program where you offer customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I’m going to start keeping a glass straw from Glass Dharma in my purse so I can practice what I preach. On the Glass Dharma web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which seems like a great idea.
Whatever you decide about the straw situation, I’m sure I’ll be back to eat some more pizza soon. In fact, I was there last night for my anniversary. Just next time you might know me by my glass straw.
Sincerely,
Eileen
I sent my letters on Friday and already have a response today! I thought I’d share so everyone could see that it is working!! YEAH
Hello Heather,
I received your letter today about our straws. I have actually been trying to source a compostable straw four Pastini, but haven’t yet found an affordable alternative. But, I never even thought about a paper straw! I will definitely look into that and let you know what I find out. Thank you so much for the great idea.
About the glass straws – I just don’t feel that is a practical idea for us. Customers are typically in a hurry when they are picking up their food, and our staff is also frequently busy when checking out customers. We don’t think that would be a workable alternative. However, I will work on sourcing a paper straw for now, and also continue to look for a compostable straw as a long-term solution.
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch!
Sincerely,
Susan Bashel
Co-owner – Director of Marketing
Pastini Restaurants
susan@pastini.com
http://www.pastini.com
Heather, this is great. I hope that whatever kind of straw she decides to go with, she will train her servers not to give them out automatically unless customers want them.
We have a young man named Milo Cress in the area with the same idea!!! He has worked with area restaurants and spoken to the State Legislature several times about this issue. Oh, yeah, he is in fourth grade!
Woo, 5 restaurants…I gotta stop eating out so much!
Rachel
April 19, 2011
Moe Joe’s
2175 Canida Rd
Manchester, NH 03104
Dear Moe Joes:
I have visited your restaurants regularly over the past few years. I enjoy your good pricing as well as your food and drinks. For this reason I want to write you a letter hopefully inspiring you to become more earth friendly in honor of the upcoming Earth Day. Plastic has becoming a very popular topic when it comes to being more Earth-friendly. This is usually represented through plastic bags. Another high-frequency plastic item that goes under the radar is plastic drinking straws.
I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
I’m sure there are many straws that pass through your restaurant. Servers usually automatically give straws either in the drink with a little paper spot still left on, or automatically place a bunch of straws on the table. In order to prevent so much plastic from being used, servers should ask people if they want a straw or not. Losing the automatic straw giving gives people a chance to THINK about having a straw, rather than mindlessly using it because it’s there.
Also there are a couple alternatives to regular straw use. For instance there are comppostable straws available through places like Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/. There are also programs such as menu upgrading that allows customers to pay extra for reusable straws and/or takeout containers (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html).
I am hoping that writing you this letter will help open your eyes to the potential a restaurant can have to be Earth-friendly. There are many other ways restaurants can cause less impact. Again, I enjoy eating at your restaurants and will continue to in the future perhaps even more frequently if you decide to implement some Earth-friendly changes.
Sincerely,
Rachel
Rachel
April 19, 2011
The Coach Stop
176 Mammoth Rd
Londodnerry, NH 03053
Dear Coach Stop:
I have visited your restaurants regularly over the past few years. I enjoy your good pricing as well as your food and drinks. For this reason I want to write you a letter hopefully inspiring you to become more earth friendly in honor of the upcoming Earth Day. Plastic has becoming a very popular topic when it comes to being more Earth-friendly. This is usually represented through plastic bags. Another high-frequency plastic item that goes under the radar is plastic drinking straws.
I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
I’m sure there are many straws that pass through your restaurant. Servers usually automatically give straws either in the drink with a little paper spot still left on, or automatically place a bunch of straws on the table. In order to prevent so much plastic from being used, servers should ask people if they want a straw or not. Losing the automatic straw giving gives people a chance to THINK about having a straw, rather than mindlessly using it because it’s there.
Also there are a couple alternatives to regular straw use. For instance there are comppostable straws available through places like Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/. There are also programs such as menu upgrading that allows customers to pay extra for reusable straws and/or takeout containers (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html).
I am hoping that writing you this letter will help open your eyes to the potential a restaurant can have to be Earth-friendly. There are many other ways restaurants can cause less impact. Again, I enjoy eating at your restaurants and will continue to in the future –
perhaps even more frequently if you decide to implement some Earth-friendly changes.
Sincerely,
Rachel
Rachel
April 19, 2011
T-Bones
39 Crystal Ave
Derry, NH 03038
Dear T-Bones:
I have visited your restaurants regularly over the past few years. I enjoy your good pricing as well as your food and drinks. For this reason I want to write you a letter hopefully inspiring you to become more earth friendly in honor of the upcoming Earth Day. Plastic has becoming a very popular topic when it comes to being more Earth-friendly. This is usually represented through plastic bags. Another high-frequency plastic item that goes under the radar is plastic drinking straws.
I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
I’m sure there are many straws that pass through your restaurant. Servers usually automatically give straws either in the drink with a little paper spot still left on, or automatically place a bunch of straws on the table. In order to prevent so much plastic from being used, servers should ask people if they want a straw or not. Losing the automatic straw giving gives people a chance to THINK about having a straw, rather than mindlessly using it because it’s there.
Also there are a couple alternatives to regular straw use. For instance there are comppostable straws available through places like Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/. There are also programs such as menu upgrading that allows customers to pay extra for reusable straws and/or takeout containers (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html).
I am hoping that writing you this letter will help open your eyes to the potential a restaurant can have to be Earth-friendly. There are many other ways restaurants can cause less impact. Again, I enjoy eating at your restaurants and will continue to in the future –
perhaps even more frequently if you decide to implement some Earth-friendly changes.
Sincerely,
Rachel
Rachel Fowler
April 19, 2011
Applebees
14 Manchester Rd
Derry, NH 03038
Dear Applebees:
I have visited your restaurants regularly over the past few years. I enjoy your good pricing as well as your food and drinks. For this reason I want to write you a letter hopefully inspiring you to become more earth friendly in honor of the upcoming Earth Day. Plastic has becoming a very popular topic when it comes to being more Earth-friendly. This is usually represented through plastic bags. Another high-frequency plastic item that goes under the radar is plastic drinking straws.
I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
I’m sure there are many straws that pass through your restaurant. Servers usually automatically give straws either in the drink with a little paper spot still left on, or automatically place a bunch of straws on the table. In order to prevent so much plastic from being used, servers should ask people if they want a straw or not. Losing the automatic straw giving gives people a chance to THINK about having a straw, rather than mindlessly using it because it’s there.
Also there are a couple alternatives to regular straw use. For instance there are comppostable straws available through places like Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/. There are also programs such as menu upgrading that allows customers to pay extra for reusable straws and/or takeout containers (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html).
I am hoping that writing you this letter will help open your eyes to the potential a restaurant can have to be Earth-friendly. There are many other ways restaurants can cause less impact. Again, I enjoy eating at your restaurants and will continue to in the future –
perhaps even more frequently if you decide to implement some Earth-friendly changes.
Sincerely,
Rachel
Rachel
yadda yadda
April 19, 2011
The 99 Restaurant
41 Nashua Rd
Londonderry, NH 03053
Dear 99 Restaurant:
I have visited your restaurants regularly over the past few years. I enjoy your good pricing as well as your food and drinks. For this reason I want to write you a letter hopefully inspiring you to become more earth friendly in honor of the upcoming Earth Day. Plastic has becoming a very popular topic when it comes to being more Earth-friendly. This is usually represented through plastic bags. Another high-frequency plastic item that goes under the radar is plastic drinking straws.
I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
I’m sure there are many straws that pass through your restaurant. Servers usually automatically give straws either in the drink with a little paper spot still left on, or automatically place a bunch of straws on the table. In order to prevent so much plastic from being used, servers should ask people if they want a straw or not. Losing the automatic straw giving gives people a chance to THINK about having a straw, rather than mindlessly using it because it’s there.
Also there are a couple alternatives to regular straw use. For instance there are comppostable straws available through places like Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/. There are also programs such as menu upgrading that allows customers to pay extra for reusable straws and/or takeout containers (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html).
I am hoping that writing you this letter will help open your eyes to the potential a restaurant can have to be Earth-friendly. There are many other ways restaurants can cause less impact. Again, I enjoy eating at your restaurants and will continue to in the future –
perhaps even more frequently if you decide to implement some Earth-friendly changes.
Sincerely,
Rachel
letter to O’Charley’s:
April 18, 2011
O’Charley’s Inc. Enterprise
3038 Sidco Drive
Nashville, TN 37204
Attention: David W. Head, CEO
Dear Mr. Head:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they bring one anyway, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
Even though Earth Day has passed for 2011, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy in its honor.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for good food we enjoy during the year.
Sincerely,
my name
my address
cc: Glass Dharma
Letter to Outback:
April 18, 2011
Outback Restaurants
c/o OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC
2202 N. West Shore Blvd., 5th Floor
Tampa, FL 33607
Attention: Elizabeth Smith, CEO
Dear Ms. Smith:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they bring one anyway, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
Even though Earth Day has passed for 2011, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy in its honor.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for good food we enjoy during the year.
Sincerely,
my name
my address
cc: Glass Dharma
oh, and I wrote to Outback’s CEO (Husband’s favorite) and to O’Charley’s (my favorite). I used your letter, Beth, as a template making a few changes to personalize it for us. 🙂
I’m a new reader, but I am so on board with getting plastic out of my life. I’ve written 2 letters today, because I would like a glass straw for my husband and myself to carry with us when we eat out. I already bring a titanium spork apiece (thank you, Think Geek!) so we can turn down plastic utensils when offered.
Lisa Coons
[Removed]
April 19, 2011
Mazatlan
1525 Tullamore Ave.
Mankato, MN 56001
Dear Mazatlan:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate the food and service at your restaurant, I appreciate your use of real dishes, flatware and glasses. However, there is one small area of change which I believe would have a big impact on the environment I would suggest to you. Those pesky plastic straws. I don’t want or need one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to use one, they stick a straw in my cold drinks automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place.
2) I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. While they are still disposable they are compostable and will not last in the environment. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
Moving away from throw away products shows a commitment on the part of your business to the environment and sets you apart from all the others. I hope you’ll consider my request and let me know what you decide.
Sincerely,
Lisa Coons
This is so awesome it’s unbelievable! Yay! Thank you Beth and Glass Dharma! I am sending the identical letter (pretty much, I am tweaking the first paragraph to be restaurant-specific) to what I’m copy/pasting here, so to save time and space I’m not going to include them all. Rather, I’ll share the one letter and then follow it with the different restaurant names and addresses to which I am sending it. If you want me to use a new post for each letter, please let me know. Otherwise, here it is:
April 19, 2011
Lisa Last Name
address
email
Dear Barkers,
Oh, how I love thee! Whenever we give ourselves a treat we head to your restaurant. Not only is everything prepared perfectly, deliciously, and beautifully, but I also appreciate the options for humane meat (i.e. bison; I get that burger almost every time I’m there). So thank you for being one of my favorite restaurants in the area and please keep up the great work!
On that note, I am also writing with a eco- and budget-friendly request: would you be willing to change your plastic straw policy? Most of the time a drink of water or something from the bar comes to me with a straw whether I wanted one or not (and I never do). This is wasteful, expensive, and a great way to trash the earth quickly. Extra straws are also sometimes brought to the table and left there for no clear reason; since I used to be a server I know those get thrown away like everything else on the table, even if they were unwrapped and unused. Using a lot less straws is a great way to be earth- and dollar-conscious.
I recognize, of course, that sometimes your customers will really want a straw, though, so in those instances would you be willing to switch to paper straws? These are a lot less harmful to the earth because they compost down in time. One company that sells paper straws is Aardvark: https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/ . Please check them out and consider them for all your straw needs. ?
One last thing to tell you about in this straw-overhaul is that a fabulous company called Glass Dharma has a Menu Upgrade program for restaurants that you might want to consider. In this plan you offer customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal in exchange for a reusable straw they can take with them. Read more about the program here: http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html .
I look forward to your reply and hope you truly consider implementing some of these strategies. You save money, it requires no additional effort, it’s kinder to the earth; it’s win-win for everyone!
Sincerely,
Lisa Last Name
The restaurants getting this letter are all in Hudson, WI:
1. Barker’s Bar and Grill
413 2nd Street
Hudson, WI 54016-4123
2. San Pedro Cafe
426 2nd Street
Hudson, WI 54016-4003
3. Pier 500
500 1st Street
Hudson, WI 54016-1574
4. Shanghai Bistro
2420 Gateway Court
Hudson, WI 54016
Thanks again, Beth! 🙂
Lisa Coons
[Removed]
April 19, 2011
Red Lobster
1890 Madison Ave.
Mankato, MN 56001
Dear Red Lobster:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate the food and service at your restaurant, I appreciate your use of real dishes, flatware and glasses. However, there is one small area of change which I believe would have a big impact on the environment I would suggest to you. Those pesky plastic straws. I don’t want or need one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to use one, they stick a straw in my cold drinks automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place.
2) I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. While they are still disposable they are compostable and will not last in the environment. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
Moving away from throw away products shows a commitment on the part of your business to the environment and sets you apart from all the others. I hope you’ll consider my request and let me know what you decide.
Sincerely,
Lisa Coons
Lisa Coons
[Removed]
April 19, 2011
Tom Frederick
Pub 500
500 Front Dr.
Mankato, MN 56001
tom@pub500.com
Dear Tom:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate the food and service at the Coffee Hag, I appreciate your use of real dishes, flatware and glasses. I also appreciate the recycling that the Pub incorporates as part of your business approach. However, there is one small area of change which I believe would have a big impact on the environment I would suggest to you. Those pesky plastic straws. I don’t want or need one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to use one, they stick a straw in my cold drinks automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place.
2) I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. While they are still disposable they are compostable and will not last in the environment. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
Moving away from throw away products shows a commitment on the part of your business to the environment and sets you apart from all the others. I hope you’ll consider my request and let me know what you decide.
Sincerely,
Lisa Coons
Lisa Coons
[Removed]
April 19, 2011
Jennifer Melby
Coffee Hag
329 N. Riverfront Dr.
Mankato, MN 56001
jennifer.melby@yahoo.com
Dear Jennifer:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate the food and service at the Coffee Hag, I appreciate your use of real dishes, flatware and glasses. I also appreciate the recycling that the Coffee Hag incorporates as part of your business approach. However, there is one small area of change which I believe would have a big impact on the environment I would suggest to you. Those pesky plastic straws. I don’t want or need one. But unless I ask the barista ahead of time not to use one, they stick a straw in my cold drinks automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place.
2) I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. While they are still disposable they are compostable and will not last in the environment. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
Moving away from throw away products shows a commitment on the part of your business to the environment and sets you apart from all the others. I hope you’ll consider my request and let me know what you decide.
Sincerely,
Lisa Coons
Lisa Coons
[Removed]
April 19, 2011
Mongolian Grill
1876 Madison Ave.
Mankato, MN 56001
Dear Mongolian Grill:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate the food and service at your restaurant, I appreciate your use of real dishes, flatware and glasses. However, there is one small area of change which I believe would have a big impact on the environment I would suggest to you. Those pesky plastic straws. I don’t want or need one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to use one, they stick a straw in my cold drinks automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place.
2) I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. While they are still disposable they are compostable and will not last in the environment. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
Moving away from throw away products shows a commitment on the part of your business to the environment and sets you apart from all the others. I hope you’ll consider my request and let me know what you decide.
Sincerely,
Lisa Coons
Thank you for this post, Beth!
As a (Darden company) server I keep straws in my apron and give them to guests upon request. I also check with parents before bringing a kid’s cup. Older children do not want one and younger children probably have a sippy cup packed with.
A note to your readers- if you do not want something, tell your server to take it away immediately. If you do not use a straw, paper coaster, drink napkin, etc., but leave it on your table, we have to throw it away when you leave.
April 17, 2011
West End Cafe
916 West 4th Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Dear West End Cafe,
West End Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants in town. I love your regular menu (particularly the Veggie Rueben) as well as your creative and delicious specials. I do have a recommendation that would bring even greater enjoyment helping the environment by reducing West End Cafes use of disposable plastic straws.
In honor of Earth Day and to help avoid generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years, I’m writing to ask you to evaluate your restaurant’s plastic straw usage as follows:
1. Recognize the importance of training servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t use straws so why waste the plastic. Others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag; it helps the environment and saves the company money.
2. Switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment and potentially harm wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark (www.aardvarkstraws.com).
3. Consider the environmental benefit of participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. Having a reusable straw from a company like Glass Dharma means not wasting plastic. On Glass Dharma’s website, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea. It also might result in some very positive PR for West End Cafe if the newspaper or local television featured this innovative approach to helping the environment.
I would really appreciate a response to let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for a being a wonderful mainstay for delicious food in Winston-Salem.
Sincerely,
Theresa Palmer
April 17, 2011
Sweet Potatoes
529 North Trade Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Dear Stephanie and Vivian,
Sweet Potatoes is one of my favorite restaurants in town. I love your menu (particularly the fried green tomatoes like no other!) as well as Sweet Potatoes wonderful and welcoming southern hospitality that makes it a must-visit when our northern friends come to town. I do have a recommendation that would bring even greater enjoyment, helping the environment by reducing the restaurant’s use of disposable plastic straws.
In honor of Earth Day and to help avoid generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years, I’m writing to ask you to evaluate your restaurant’s plastic straw usage as follows:
1. Recognize the importance of training servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t use straws so why waste the plastic. Others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag; it helps the environment and saves the company money.
2. Switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment and potentially harm wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark (www.aardvarkstraws.com).
3. Consider the environmental benefit of participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. Having a reusable straw from a company like Glass Dharma means not wasting plastic. On Glass Dharma’s website, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea. It also might result in some very positive PR for Sweet Potatoes if the newspaper or local television featured this innovative approach to helping the environment.
I would really appreciate a response to let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for a being a wonderful mainstay for delicious food in Winston-Salem.
Sincerely,
Theresa Palmer
April 17, 2011
Breakfast of Course! Mary’s Too
723 Trade Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Dear Mary,
Breakfast of Course! Mary’s Too is one of my favorite restaurants in town. I love your menu (particularly the Breakfast Club with its delicious avocado & pesto mayo) as well as what a fun & funky gathering place it is. I do have a recommendation that would bring even greater enjoyment, helping the environment by reducing the restaurant’s use of disposable plastic straws.
In honor of Earth Day and to help avoid generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years, I’m writing to ask you to evaluate your restaurant’s plastic straw usage as follows:
1. Recognize the importance of training servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t use straws so why waste the plastic. Others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag; it helps the environment and saves the company money.
2. Switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment and potentially harm wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark (www.aardvarkstraws.com).
3. Consider the environmental benefit of participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. Having a reusable straw from a company like Glass Dharma means not wasting plastic. On Glass Dharma’s website, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea. It also might result in some very positive PR for Breakfast of Course! Mary’s Too if the newspaper or local television featured this innovative approach to helping the environment.
I would really appreciate a response to let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for a being a wonderful mainstay for delicious food in Winston-Salem.
Sincerely,
Theresa Palmer
April 17, 2011
6th and Vine
209 West 6th Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Dear 6th and Vine,
6th and Vine is one of my favorite restaurants in town. I love your menu (particularly the flats) and what a great atmosphere you’ve created for gathering with friends. I do have a recommendation that would bring even greater enjoyment, helping the environment by reducing 6th and Vine’s use of disposable plastic straws.
In honor of Earth Day and to help avoid generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years, I’m writing to ask you to evaluate your restaurant’s plastic straw usage as follows:
1. Recognize the importance of training servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t use straws so why waste the plastic. Others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag; it helps the environment and saves the company money.
2. Switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment and potentially harm wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark (www.aardvarkstraws.com).
3. Consider the environmental benefit of participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. Having a reusable straw from a company like Glass Dharma means not wasting plastic. On Glass Dharma’s website, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea. It also might result in some very positive PR for 6th and Vine if the newspaper or local television featured this innovative approach to helping the environment.
I would really appreciate a response to let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for a being a wonderful mainstay for delicious food in Winston-Salem.
Sincerely,
Theresa Palmer
#5
April 17, 2011
Chili’s Bar & Grill
8454 S. Kipling Parkway
Littleton, CO 80127-5008
Dear Chili’s:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your delicious food, but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws, and the plastic cup/lid/straw combo you offer with children’s food. I don’t need or want them. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to include them, they bring these things automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years. The cups at least are reusable, but I can only keep so many of these things in my small kitchen. Despite my overflowing kid cup drawer, I know that if I don’t take them home, your staff will simply throw them in the trash.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw with their beverage, or a plastic kid cup, instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and plastic cups and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the excellent food and service I always receive at your restaurant.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Norton
#4
April 17, 2011
Panera Bread
8501 W Bowles Ave # 1D476
Littleton, CO 80123-9516
Dear Panera Bread:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your delicious vegetarian food options, but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws and lids used for the smoothies, and disposable flatware included when I order my meal to go. I don’t need or want them. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to include them, they toss plastic flatware in my bag, or stick a lid and straw on my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years. The cup itself is at least recyclable, but the lids and straws are not. And, while I can reuse my flatware, I would rather just use what I already have at home.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want plastic flatware, or a lid and straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and plastic forks and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one, and as a replacement for the straws available at the self-serve beverage station. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the excellent food and service I always receive at your restaurant.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Norton
#3
April 17, 2011
Crooked Creek Saloon
401 Zerex
Fraser, CO 80442
Dear Crooked Creek Saloon:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your delicious food, but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws, and the plastic cup/lid/straw combo you offer with children’s food. I don’t need or want them. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to include them, they bring these things automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years. The cups at least are reusable, but I can only keep so many of these things in my small kitchen. Despite my overflowing kid cup drawer, I know that if I don’t take them home, your staff will simply throw them in the trash.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw with their beverage, or a plastic kid cup, instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and plastic cups and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the excellent food and service I always receive at your restaurant.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Norton
#2
April 17, 2011
TGI Friday’s
8334 Willow St.
Lonetree, CO 80124
Dear TGI Friday’s:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your delicious food, but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws, and the plastic cup/lid/straw combo you offer with children’s food. I don’t need or want them. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to include them, they bring these things automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years. The cups at least are reusable, but I can only keep so many of these things in my small kitchen. Despite my overflowing kid cup drawer, I know that if I don’t take them home, your staff will simply throw them in the trash.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw with their beverage, or a plastic kid cup, instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and plastic cups and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the excellent food and service I always receive at your restaurant.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Norton
#1
April 17, 2011
Buffalo Restaurant & Bar
1617 Miner St.
Idaho Springs, CO 80452
Dear Buffalo Restaurant & Bar:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your delicious food, but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws, and the plastic cup/lid/straw combo you offer with children’s food. I don’t need or want them. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to include them, they bring these things automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years. The cups at least are reusable, but I can only keep so many of these things in my small kitchen. Despite my overflowing kid cup drawer, I know that if I don’t take them home, your staff will simply throw them in the trash.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw with their beverage, or a plastic kid cup, instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and plastic cups and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the excellent food and service I always receive at your restaurant.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Norton
April 17, 2011
The Old Fourth Street Filling Station
871 West 4th Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
To The Old Fourth Street Filling Station,
The Old Fourth Street Filling Station is one of my favorite restaurants in town. I love your menu (particularly the grilled salmon salad with goat cheese and candied pecans) as well as what a wonderful gathering place it is for friends, particularly on warm spring evenings outside on the patio. I do have a recommendation that would bring even greater enjoyment, helping the environment by reducing the restaurant’s use of disposable plastic straws.
In honor of Earth Day and to help avoid generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years, I’m writing to ask you to evaluate your restaurant’s plastic straw usage as follows:
1. Recognize the importance of training servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t use straws so why waste the plastic. Others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag; it helps the environment and saves the company money.
2. Switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment and potentially harm wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark (www.aardvarkstraws.com).
3. Consider the environmental benefit of participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. Having a reusable straw from a company like Glass Dharma means not wasting plastic. On Glass Dharma’s website, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea. It also might result in some very positive PR for The Old Fourth Street Filling Station if the newspaper or local television featured this innovative approach to helping the environment.
I would really appreciate a response to let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for a being a wonderful mainstay for delicious food in Winston-Salem.
Sincerely,
Theresa Palmer
Beth, this is awesome. I don’t have the energy to participate today (I’m recuperating from an appendectomy [!!!]), but I’ve posted this on my Facebook and will try to get to it in the next week or so.
In case no one has called you “inspiring” lately, let me rectify that situation. ^_^
Amanda, of course you can address as many issues as you need to! I love that you gave a resource for purchasing durable dipping cups. That’s great. I too have been surprised by the occasional salad dressing cup in an otherwise plastic-free meal.
Laura
my info here
April 15, 2011
Cafe This Way
14 Mount Desert Street
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
(207) 288-4483
Dear Cafe This Way:
As a local resident and repeat customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on durable dishes with real flatware. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma makes glass straws and they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants on their web page (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html). An action like this leaves a lasting impression of your restaurant.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your delicious food and friendly atmosphere.
Sincerely,
Laura
I love this! What a brilliant idea! I’m going to do this, and also suggest on my blog that other people do the same. I’ll post my letter later on this week. Thanks for this!
Am I the only one that doesn’t have this problem?
I don’t even remember seeing a plastic straw being handed with a real glass (a glass made of glass). Maybe it happened once or twice when I was a kid but it’s really fuzzy…
I did buy glass straws two years ago and so far I LOVE them but I keep them at home, I don’t really need them when I’m out.
Anyway I applaud the initiative though!
As a parent to a young child, a pet peeve is when they bring the child’s water in a to-go cup with straw before you have a chance to even say no thanks. I always send it back, but I worry that they throw them away in the kitchen. I hope that doesn’t always happen. (We try to preempt by asking for a “regular” cup or glass with no straw, but there are a couple of places where the people who bring the water do it with no communication with the person who seats you or takes your order.) Need to write more letters to the owners/managers rather than just talking to the servers. Thanks for the inspiration.
Emily Walter
April 15, 2011
Bon Boniere Ice Cream
1550 Bryant Street
215 F St, Eureka, CA 95501
Dear Bon Boniere:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate the quality and tastiness of your food but the fact that much of it is local. I have additionally always had great service at your establishments, the only thing that I find upsetting is the use of disposable plastic straws and the plastic sword/toothpicks you put in sandwiches. I don’t need or want a straw with my meal. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw and toothpick policy.
First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
Second, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Lastly, I would much rather prefer a regular wooden toothpick, or no toothpick at all, than a single use plastic one. The colorful plastic toothpicks currently being used do not bring a smile to my face, but rather makes me sad, knowing that the plastic will go straight to a landfill.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant!
Sincerely,
Emily Walter
I generally refuse the straw and don’t use it when the server bring it to me when I forget to ask but that’s just as wasteful as using it. I’m writing to the parent company of Der Dutchman Restaurants and also owns Dutch Kitchen.
Lisa
Dutchman Hospitality Group, Inc.
PO Box 158
4985 Walnut Street
Walnut Creek OH 44687
Phone: 330-893-2926
Fax: 330-893-2637
Dear Dutchman Hospitality Group:
Not long after I met my husband his family introduced me to Der Dutchman and The Dutch Kitchen. We enjoy your food so much that we had you cater our wedding rehearsal dinner.
As my family enjoyed our dinner last Saturday, I couldn’t help but notice that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they give it to me automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
Granted, I can refuse to use the wrapped straw. However, that won’t prevent the unused plastic straw from being be thrown away once the table is cleared. As a company steeped in Amish and Mennonite tradition, I’m sure wasteful practices bother you too.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for the past few years so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant, it’s almost like another sibling in my Husband’s family. The service we received last Saturday was very good, which I’m sure is a challenge for your staff during a major construction and expansion!
Sincerely,
Lisa Nelsen-Woods
I know I might be disqualified for addressing a second issue, but yesterday at lunch I remembered to ask for no straw, and then had a small (mostly internal) meltdown when my food arrived with two little plastic cups on the side!
I can’t find an email address for them on their site.
———
April 15, 2011
Gentle Ben’s Brewing Company
865 E. University Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85719
website: http://www.gentlebens.com
Dear Gentle Ben’s:
As a relatively new arrival to Tucson, I have enjoyed getting to know Gentle Ben’s. I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for two things: the disposable plastic straws, and disposable salad dressing / sauce cups. I don’t need or want either of them. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me a straw, they stick one in my drink automatically, and unless I have a lengthy discussion with the wait staff, they bring my salad dressing or dipping sauce in a small disposable plastic cup. Both generate plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) Third, please discontinue use of disposable plastic sauce cups, and invest in stainless steel or other durable dipping sauce cups – they are available on-line for $0.20-0.30 each from wholesalers like Lion’s Deal https://www.lionsdeal.com/ – or if you must use disposable, I would love it if you’d switch to paper portion cups, like these: .
4) And finally, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have been carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for about a month now so that I don’t have to waste plastic. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for hosting events with the University of Arizona student bar association, for your excellent beer selection, and for good food year-round.
Sincerely,
Amanda R.
University Book and Bean
1203 Chestnut Street, Suite A
University Plaza
Murray, Kentucky 42071
I must say that until my recent move away from Murray, I was a loyal and regular customer. There were many days that the only thing that kept me going was the promise of a Happy Hour frozen Book and Bean Mocha. And I must also confess that there was more than one occasion that I took advantage of the all day half price Sunday more than once in a day. As you can tell, Book and Bean is an establishment that I love and support. The only issue that I have is with the use of disposables: specifically, plastic straws. I will admit that I have been guilty in the past of often forgetting my reusable drink cup but, in honor of Earth Day, I am pledging to renew my commitment to always carry with me a reusable cup AND straw. I appreciate that you have reusable cups available for purchase in your store. I would like to challenge University Book and Bean- along with myself- to take a few more steps toward being friendlier to Mother Nature.
1) First, please consider the quantity of disposable plastic that is used in the coffee shop. I have appreciated in the past when the barista left a plastic lid off my hot beverage when I was planning on drinking in the shop while visiting with a friend or browsing the book collection. What I don’t appreciate, however, is the use of plastic cups for all of the cold drinks, as well as the use of plastic straws for the cold and frozen drinks. While the straws are wrapped and generally the barista does not unwrap it, making it possible for me to hand it back when I don’t need it, there have been times when I receive my drink with the straw unwrapped and in the cup, meaning the only option is to throw it away. One solution to this is to train the baristas to break the habit of unwrapping straws for customers and to also ask before providing one. (For my part, this will again be solved by bringing my own reusable travel mug with me.)
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to non plastic coated paper products for all of your drinks. Paper straws would be great for those customers who request one. While they are still disposable, they are considerably less toxic for our environment than plastic as they are compostable and will not remain in landfills for thousands of years to come. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/. They can even be customized with company name and information on the wrapper. I think this would be an environmentally friendly step that many of your customers would appreciate.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their drinks and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I will begin carrying a glass straw from a company called Glass Dharma for when I enjoy my delicious frozen drinks. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea. You could also consider doing this with your cups in store- perhaps even offer a free beverage with the purchase of a drink, and a small discount when the customer brings a reusable cup in for use. (I know here in St. Louis the St. Louis Bread Company does this and it is just a small perk that helps me remember to bring my reusable cup in with me!)
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. While I no longer live in the area, I still always plan at least one Book and Bean run each day when I return to Murray to visit with friends and would be so happy to see some of these steps put in place.
Sincerely,
Jolene Miesner
April 15, 2011
Old Spaghetti Factory
0715 Southwest Bancroft Street
Portland, OR 97239-4299
E-mail: info@osf.com
Dear Old Spaghetti Factory:
As a long-time customer, I love bringing my family to your waterfront location. We enjoy great food, service and drinks. Great drinks – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have found a company called Glass Dharma that makes reusable, glass straws. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I love that you guys give us free refills on our soft drinks, but we don’t need multiple disposable straws with every drink.
Sincerely,
Heather Winters
Hello Beth,
A few years ago I wrote to the Claim Jumpers Restaurant the head person responsible for service at the restaurant. I did use email, however, they changed their straw policy for all restaurants. When I order water, I ask for water, no ice, and no straw, please and thank you. It was their policy to always put a straw into each glass at the back of the restaurant. Now, their policy is to offer straws that are covered at the table so that if you request no straw they will not provide you one. It is not the same as providing a straw only upon request, however, it was the only solution that the company would offer to the problem of always providing a straw. They did this so that the straws could be recollected and used again for other customers in case the straws would not be used at the table. I can offer you the letter if you would like.
Laura, that’s a great story! Will you please post the letter? Send it to Glass Dharma with your story and see what they say. It’s their call. But I think the fact that you got a business to change is a big PLUS! How often does that happen?
Here is the letter I sent to two restaurants (Beth’s letter with some tweaking!)
April 15, 2011
Family Sports Concepts
5510 W. LaSalle Street
Suite 200
Tampa, FL 33607
Dear Family Sports Concepts (Beef O’Brady’s):
As a frequent customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea. Your clientele is an upscale and educated group of people whom I think would really enjoy this opportunity to be environmentally responsible.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and enjoy the variety of food offered on your menu.
Sincerely,
Ellen Sattler
(address and email included)
Ok here’s my last letter, they are all going out in the mail today. This is such an awesome opportunity! 🙂
Olive Garden
601 Juan Tabo Boulevard Northeast
Albuquerque, NM 87123
To Whom It May Concern:
As a long time customer, there is an issue I would like to address with your restaurant: plastic straws. I understand why you offer them, but they are very wasteful. These small pieces of plastic don’t get recycled, they get tossed in the trash, used or not. Eventually many of them migrate into waterways and into our oceans. If you’ve never seen a picture of a bird filled with plastic, I’ve included one for you, so you can see just how disturbing it is. Animals cannot distinguish between plastic and food, and it’s deadly for them to eat. When it gets to our oceans it ends up in our drinking water. So the animals are not the only ones consuming plastic. See, it doesn’t disintegrate or biodegrade. It just breaks down into smaller pieces of plastic that we drink and the animals eat, and that pollutes our oceans, lakes and rivers.
What I would like is to see you offer paper straws or glass straws. Yes, they are available, and no they are not hard to find. There is a rise in the number of people using them. They are convenient, paper is the same as using plastic and the glass ones can be washed, and are very durable. At least with paper they biodegrade and don’t create more waste. And a lot of the companies I’ve seen selling the glass straws even offer warranties on them, which is a nice thing to have in case one breaks. At the very least, I would like your restaurant to stop just giving out plastic straws to every single person with every single cup. Not everyone uses them and the ones you give out unused will just be trashed. Even my 4 year old can drink without one, so I’m sure plenty of adults can. Don’t give them out unless asked. Or find better alternatives to plastic straws. They are out there, and it would give you something to publicize to draw in “eco-friendly” folks. I don’t live under a rock, I understand that you need to bring in business and make money. But buy finding alternatives to plastic straws you can draw in a new crowd, and new business.
Plastic straws contain a lot of harmful chemicals as well, things I don’t want my child having in her mouth. There really is no upside to using them except for the easiness factor. However nothing worthwhile in life is easy. It’s a decision only you can make, but it is something you should consider. The move against plastics is on the rise. There are many people contacting restaurants around the country asking for them to stop giving single use plastic items such as straws and utensils. I did appreciate that you use metal utensils and ceramic dishes in your restaurants, but you should also consider switching from wasteful paper napkins to cloth instead. It’s important for us as a community to look for ways to save more and waste less. The resources on our planet are not infinite like many assume. If we aren’t better stewards of those resources we will run out. I love your restaurant; it’s one of our favorite places to eat. I would love to see you take a more eco-friendly approach to one-time use items. So please take the time to consider what I’ve said!
Thank you,
Ashley
Thanks for clarifying Beth!!
April 15, 2011
Pastini Pastaria
911 SW Taylor ST
Portland, OR 97205
E-mail: feedback@pastini.com
Dear Pastini:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that you have been taking initiatives to reduce your impact on the environment. The measures you have taken to reduce waste, buy local and decrease plastic in your take out containers our commendable. However I challenge you to go one step further with the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. I have found a company called Glass Dharma that makes reusable, glass straws. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take.
Sincerely,
Heather Winters
Ok great, thanks! 🙂 Here’s my 4th letter which is the same as the 3rd since it’s the same restaurant just a different location:
Sweet Tomatoes
10126 Coors Boulevard Northwest
Albuquerque, NM 87114
To Whom It May Concern:
As a long time customer, there is an issue I would like to address with your restaurant: plastic straws. I understand why you offer them, but they are very wasteful. These small pieces of plastic don’t get recycled, they get tossed in the trash, used or not. Eventually many of them migrate into waterways and into our oceans. If you’ve never seen a picture of a bird filled with plastic, I’ve included one for you, so you can see just how disturbing it is. Animals cannot distinguish between plastic and food, and it’s deadly for them to eat. When it gets to our oceans it ends up in our drinking water. So the animals are not the only ones consuming plastic. See, it doesn’t disintegrate or biodegrade. It just breaks down into smaller pieces of plastic that we drink and the animals eat, and that pollutes our oceans, lakes and rivers.
What I would like is to see you offer paper straws or glass straws. Yes, they are available, and no they are not hard to find. There is a rise in the number of people using them. They are convenient, paper is the same as using plastic and the glass ones can be washed, and are very durable. At least with paper they biodegrade and don’t create more waste. And a lot of the companies I’ve seen selling the glass straws even offer warranties on them, which is a nice thing to have in case one breaks. At the very least, I would like your restaurant to stop just giving out plastic straws to every single person with every single cup. Not everyone uses them and the ones you give out unused will just be trashed. Even my 4 year old can drink without one, so I’m sure plenty of adults can. Don’t give them out unless asked. Or find better alternatives to plastic straws. They are out there, and it would give you something to publicize to draw in “eco-friendly” folks. I don’t live under a rock, I understand that you need to bring in business and make money. But buy finding alternatives to plastic straws you can draw in a new crowd, and new business.
Plastic straws contain a lot of harmful chemicals as well, things I don’t want my child having in her mouth. There really is no upside to using them except for the easiness factor. However nothing worthwhile in life is easy. It’s a decision only you can make, but it is something you should consider. The move against plastics is on the rise. There are many people contacting restaurants around the country asking for them to stop giving single use plastic items such as straws and utensils. I did appreciate that you use metal utensils and ceramic dishes in your restaurants, but you should also consider switching from wasteful paper napkins to cloth instead. It’s important for us as a community to look for ways to save more and waste less. The resources on our planet are not infinite like many assume. If we aren’t better stewards of those resources we will run out. I love your restaurant; it’s one of our favorite places to eat. I would love to see you take a more eco-friendly approach to one-time use items. You already offer such a great menu full of healthy items; it would be great to see you take a step to be more considerate of the waste of single use items. So please take the time to consider what I’ve said!
Thank you,
Ashley
Ashley, it’s totally fine to use the same format! Applebee’s won’t know that Bucca di Beppo got the same letter. 🙂
Here’s my 3rd letter! I am on a roll 🙂 This restaurant has 2 locations so I am sending letters to both of them.
Sweet Tomatoes
4901 San Mateo Boulevard Northeast
Albuquerque, NM 87109
To Whom It May Concern:
As a long time customer, there is an issue I would like to address with your restaurant: plastic straws. I understand why you offer them, but they are very wasteful. These small pieces of plastic don’t get recycled, they get tossed in the trash, used or not. Eventually many of them migrate into waterways and into our oceans. If you’ve never seen a picture of a bird filled with plastic, I’ve included one for you, so you can see just how disturbing it is. Animals cannot distinguish between plastic and food, and it’s deadly for them to eat. When it gets to our oceans it ends up in our drinking water. So the animals are not the only ones consuming plastic. See, it doesn’t disintegrate or biodegrade. It just breaks down into smaller pieces of plastic that we drink and the animals eat, and that pollutes our oceans, lakes and rivers.
What I would like is to see you offer paper straws or glass straws. Yes, they are available, and no they are not hard to find. There is a rise in the number of people using them. They are convenient, paper is the same as using plastic and the glass ones can be washed, and are very durable. At least with paper they biodegrade and don’t create more waste. And a lot of the companies I’ve seen selling the glass straws even offer warranties on them, which is a nice thing to have in case one breaks. At the very least, I would like your restaurant to stop just giving out plastic straws to every single person with every single cup. Not everyone uses them and the ones you give out unused will just be trashed. Even my 4 year old can drink without one, so I’m sure plenty of adults can. Don’t give them out unless asked. Or find better alternatives to plastic straws. They are out there, and it would give you something to publicize to draw in “eco-friendly” folks. I don’t live under a rock, I understand that you need to bring in business and make money. But buy finding alternatives to plastic straws you can draw in a new crowd, and new business.
Plastic straws contain a lot of harmful chemicals as well, things I don’t want my child having in her mouth. There really is no upside to using them except for the easiness factor. However nothing worthwhile in life is easy. It’s a decision only you can make, but it is something you should consider. The move against plastics is on the rise. There are many people contacting restaurants around the country asking for them to stop giving single use plastic items such as straws and utensils. I did appreciate that you use metal utensils and ceramic dishes in your restaurants, but you should also consider switching from wasteful paper napkins to cloth instead. It’s important for us as a community to look for ways to save more and waste less. The resources on our planet are not infinite like many assume. If we aren’t better stewards of those resources we will run out. I love your restaurant; it’s one of our favorite places to eat. I would love to see you take a more eco-friendly approach to one-time use items. You already offer such a great menu full of healthy items; it would be great to see you take a step to be more considerate of the waste of single use items. So please take the time to consider what I’ve said!
Thank you,
Ashley
I’m using basically the same format for my letters, I hope that’s ok! Here’s my 2nd one:
Applebee’s
2600 Menaul Boulevard Northeast
Albuquerque, NM 87107
To Whom It May Concern:
As a long time customer, there is an issue I would like to address with your restaurant: plastic straws. I understand why you offer them, but they are very wasteful. These small pieces of plastic don’t get recycled, they get tossed in the trash, used or not. Eventually many of them migrate into waterways and into our oceans. If you’ve never seen a picture of a bird filled with plastic, I’ve included one for you, so you can see just how disturbing it is. Animals cannot distinguish between plastic and food, and it’s deadly for them to eat. When it gets to our oceans it ends up in our drinking water. So the animals are not the only ones consuming plastic. See, it doesn’t disintegrate or biodegrade. It just breaks down into smaller pieces of plastic that we drink and the animals eat, and that pollutes our oceans, lakes and rivers.
What I would like is to see you offer paper straws or glass straws. Yes, they are available, and no they are not hard to find. There is a rise in the number of people using them. They are convenient, paper is the same as using plastic and the glass ones can be washed, and are very durable. At least with paper they biodegrade and don’t create more waste. And a lot of the companies I’ve seen selling the glass straws even offer warranties on them, which is a nice thing to have in case one breaks. At the very least, I would like your restaurant to stop just giving out plastic straws to every single person with every single cup. Not everyone uses them and the ones you give out unused will just be trashed. Even my 4 year old can drink without one, so I’m sure plenty of adults can. Don’t give them out unless asked. Or find better alternatives to plastic straws. They are out there, and it would give you something to publicize to draw in “eco-friendly” folks. I don’t live under a rock, I understand that you need to bring in business and make money. But buy finding alternatives to plastic straws you can draw in a new crowd, and new business.
Plastic straws contain a lot of harmful chemicals as well, things I don’t want my child having in her mouth. There really is no upside to using them except for the easiness factor. However nothing worthwhile in life is easy. It’s a decision only you can make, but it is something you should consider. The move against plastics is on the rise. There are many people contacting restaurants around the country asking for them to stop giving single use plastic items such as straws and utensils. I did appreciate that you use metal utensils and ceramic dishes in your restaurants, but you should also consider switching from wasteful paper napkins to cloth instead. It’s important for us as a community to look for ways to save more and waste less. The resources on our planet are not infinite like many assume. If we aren’t better stewards of those resources we will run out. So please take the time to consider what I’ve said!
Thank you,
Ashley
Heather, you do both. You copy it here in a comment so others can see who you’ve written to. It will help them write their own letters and inspire others to give it a shot. But in the comment, you give the restaurant’s contact info but not your own.
THEN you also copy the letter in an email to earthday@glassdharma.com and include both your contact info and that of the restaurant: name, mailing address, email address for both.
Tori, you could look at the comments and choose one or more of the companies that participants have already written to. It’s preferable for you to be a customer but not absolutely required. Really, they should hear from multiple people!
Wow! This is a great deal! I’ve been wanting to buy the glass (or stainless) reusable straws for sometime now and this is a super incentive! I’ll get working on my letters now.
Just to clarify, we email a copy of our letter to earthday@glassdharma.com, not copy it in the blog comments, correct??
thanks!
YAY! I am so excited about this! I have been wanting to get glass straws for my daughter and I just for when needed. We both don’t use them, but it’s nice to have them when she gets a taller cup, just in case. I have sensitive teeth as well but I’ve just asked for no ice and done without a straw. So here’s my first letter:
Bucca Di Beppo
6520 Americas Parkway Northeast
Albuquerque, NM 87110
To Whom It May Concern:
As a long time customer, there is an issue I would like to address with your restaurant: plastic straws. I understand why you offer them, but they are very wasteful. These small pieces of plastic don’t get recycled, they get tossed in the trash, used or not. Eventually many of them migrate into waterways and into our oceans. If you’ve never seen a picture of a bird filled with plastic, I’ve included one for you, so you can see just how disturbing it is. Animals cannot distinguish between plastic and food, and it’s deadly for them to eat. When it gets to our oceans it ends up in our drinking water. So the animals are not the only ones consuming plastic. See, it doesn’t disintegrate or biodegrade. It just breaks down into smaller pieces of plastic that we drink and the animals eat, and that pollutes our oceans, lakes and rivers.
What I would like is to see you offer glass straws. Yes, they are available, and no they are not hard to find. There is a rise in the number of people using them. They are convenient, can be washed, and are very durable. A lot of the companies I’ve seen selling them even offer warranties on them, which is a nice thing to have. At the very least, I would like your restaurant to stop just giving out plastic straws to every single person with every single cup. Not everyone uses them and the ones you give out unused will just be trashed. Even my 4 year old can drink without one, so I’m sure plenty of adults can. Don’t give them out unless asked. Or find better alternatives to plastic straws. They are out there, and it would give you something to publicize to draw in “eco-friendly” folks. I don’t live under a rock, I understand that you need to bring in business and make money. But buy finding alternatives to plastic straws you can draw in a new crowd, and new business.
Plastic straws contain a lot of harmful chemicals as well, things I don’t want my child having in her mouth. There really is no upside to using them except for the easiness factor. However, nothing worthwhile in life is easy. It’s a decision only you can make, but it is something you should consider. The move against plastics is on the rise. There are many people contacting restaurants around the country asking for them to stop giving single use plastic items such as straws and utensils. I did appreciate that you use metal utensils and ceramic dishes in your restaurants, but you should also consider switching from wasteful paper napkins to cloth instead. It’s important for us as a community to look for ways to save more and waste less. The resources on our planet are not infinite like many assume. If we aren’t better stewards of those resources we will run out. So please take the time to consider what I’ve said!
Thank you,
Ashley
I guess I’m lucky in that I don’t frequent any restaurants that force opened straws on people. In fact, I can’t think of a single one, fast food inclusive, that doesn’t just give the straws to me wrapped or offer me the option of picking one up from the drink location in-store on my own if I choose. Good thing for the environment, bad thing for getting a free awesome glass straw I guess 🙂 How cool of that company to offer such a promotion!
What a great idea! I personally don’t frequent any places that hand out straws, nor do I use them in my personal life, but what a great activity for those who do! I am going to use your letter templete to write to Staples. I recently bought a box of recycled content paper, and unknown to me at the time, each ream was wrapped in plastic. They even said that their packaging was recycable, which its not! ARGGGGG!!!!!! Totally pissed me off. I’ve been meaning to write a letter for a while, and now I have a good tool! Thanks!
This is on its way…
Kourtney (last name, address, and email removed)
April 15, 2011
Ennio’s Pasta House
384 King St N,
Waterloo, ON N2J 2Z3
E-mail: arenon AT snapedge DOT ca
Dear Ennio’s:
As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that it is served on beautiful, durable dishes, with real flatware and glasses. I know that when I eat at your place, I’ll have a waste-free meal – except for one thing: the disposable plastic straws. I don’t need or want one. But unless I ask the server ahead of time not to bring me one, they stick a straw in my drink automatically, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2) Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3) And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea.
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for offering vegetarian, whole grain, and gluten-free options so I can go to your restaurant with friends with special diets.
Sincerely,
Kourtney (last name removed)
This is very cool. For my kids, I’d like some stainless steel straws (should I not be concerned about the glass breaking?), but I’d love to try a glass one myself. I’m gonna admit that I’m not a huge eater outer, but I can think of a few places I go that could ditch the straws. Very cool of GD to do this!
and finally for now…
name address contact
April 15, 2011
The Lakeview Lunch
1132 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON (416) 850-8886
?handshakes@lakeviewrestaurant.ca
Dear Lakeview:
We started to come to your restaurant 19 years ago when when we lived a block away. Your restaurant was always my kids’ favourite place to eat. As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also your friendliness towards children. We know we will always see friends there. There is only one thing that troubles me, and that’s the disposable straws that you serve us with our drinks. We try not to use disposable plastic because it’s wasteful and that contradicts our values. I most often forget to ask you ahead of time not to bring us plastic straws and our drinks arrive with straws, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1)First, please ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores asking whether customers want a bag.
2)Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. Greenshift sells all sorts of earth friendy restaurant supplies here:
3)And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. Here is a company that sells glass straws. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea. Here is where you can buy stainless steel straws in Toronto: http://www.anarreshealth.ca/node/910
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the great food and friendly atmosphere.
Sincerely,
Tracey Thomas
This one is almost the same because it’s all equally applicable, except Nazareth is the owner and her mother in the kitchen, so referring to “staff” is too weird. Rua Vang is a family operation, but at least there are more than two family members!
name
address
contact
April 15, 2011
The Nazareth
969 Bloor St W
Toronto, ON M6H 1L7 (416) 535-0797 FoodPages@FoodPages.ca
Dear Nazareth:
We started to come to your restaurant years ago when it was tiny. Your restaurant is my kids’ favourite place to eat. As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also your friendliness towards children. We know we will always see friends there. There is only one thing that troubles me, and that’s the disposable straws that you serve us with our coconut water. We try not to use disposable plastic because it’s wasteful and that contradicts our values. I most often forget to ask you ahead of time not to bring us plastic straws and our drinks arrive with straws, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1)First, please ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores asking whether customers want a bag.
2)Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. Greenshift sells all sorts of earth friendy restaurant supplies here:
3)And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. Here is a company that sells glass straws. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea. Here is where you can buy stainless steel straws in Toronto: http://www.anarreshealth.ca/node/910
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the great food and friendly atmosphere.
Sincerely,
Tracey Thomas
Yes!!! Thank you for this opportunity to interrupt my bad habit of forgetting every time I order drinks!
name
address
email
April 15, 2011
The Golden Turtle
125 Ossington Avenue
Toronto, ON M6J 2Z6- (416) 531-1601 FoodPages@FoodPages.ca
Dear Golden Turtle aka Rua Vang:
We started to come to your restaurant when we lived at Ossington just north of Dundas. Your restaurant is my kids’ favourite place to eat. As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also your friendliness towards children. We know we will always see friends there. There is only one thing that troubles me, and that’s the disposable straws that you serve us with our coconut water. We try not to use disposable plastic because it’s wasteful and that contradicts our values. I most often forget to ask our server ahead of time not to bring us plastic straws and our drinks arrive with straws, generating plastic waste that will last for thousands of years.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1)First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place. It’s like grocery stores training their employees to ask whether customers want a bag.
2)Second, I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. Greenshift sells all sorts of earth friendy restaurant supplies here:
3)And third, please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. Here is a company that sells glass straws. On their web site, they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html), which I think is a great idea. Here is where you can buy stainless steel straws in Toronto: http://www.anarreshealth.ca/node/910
Please respond and let me know which steps you are willing to take. I do appreciate your restaurant and thank you for the great food and friendly atmosphere.
Sincerely,
Tracey Thomas
Red Robin
9945 Sowder Village Square
Manassas VA 20109
Dear Red Robin:
Red Robin is a favorite of my entire family, from my three year old daughter to her 62 year old grandfather. We love your food and the family friendly atmosphere. I really appreciate that your food is served with real flatware, plates and glasses, it greatly reduces the amount of waste that ends up in the landfill. However, one of my concerns is the disposable plastic straw that is provided with drinks. These plastic straws are used once and then end up in a landfill forever.
In honor of Earth Day, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.
1) First, please train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one. This allows the customer to make the decision if they want a straw or not. On one occasion I was asked, and I really appreciated it. Most of the time straws are provided and if a refill on a drink is given a NEW straw is provided, which is extremely wasteful.
2) Second, I realize that there are customers that will still want and need a straw. I would LOVE it if you made a switch to paper straws. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/.
3)Third An excellent way to show your company’s commitment to the environment, as well as, providing an invaluable service to your customers is to participate in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. A company called Glass Dharma makes remarkable reusable straws and they also offer a Menu Upgrade Program for restaurants (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html).
As I have said, my entire family enjoys your restaurant and would greatly appreciate you restaurant making this simple change for the environment.
Sincerely,
Leslie Tom
this is a major peeve of mine as well..