Disney Turns Eco-Warrior, To Ban Plastic Straw Use From Parks By Middle of 2019

Everyone who's ever been to a Disney World knows how easy it is to get lost in the fun at these theme parks. They never really observe environmental practices there, not when they're deep in enjoyment.

That is why Walt Disney is taking active measures to join in on the fight to ban plastics in public places. USA Today reports that the entertainment giant will be banning single-use plastic straws from all theme parks that it owns. This includes resorts, properties, and any place Disney has a hold on. By mid-2019, nobody will be able to use or ask for plastic straws in any Disney-owned theme park, resort, or property.

Its Thursday announcement cleared one thing: Tokyo Disneyland is an exception. It is the sole Disney theme park that is not owned by Walt Disney directly but by The Oriental Land Co. That being said, Disney has joined in the fight to ban the use of plastics, which are essentially harmful to the environment just by the sheer length of time it takes for it to decompose.

NBC News elaborates on the plan further. The place "where dreams come true" will also become an environmentally-friendly place; Disney's ban will take out 175 million plastic straws, not to mention 13 million stirrers used in different beverages, that are disposed of annually.

To be sure, Disney is not the only company taking its plastic ban seriously. They are only the latest to join a club of companies which have committed to banning the use of plastic straws, largely because of the plastic's part in ocean pollution. It has also been a legislation since this month in Seattle.

The list of companies that Disney included itself in includes Starbucks, which will ban plastic straws by 2020 in all their 28,000 stores; McDonald's, which is looking at other eco-friendly replacements for plastics; Royal Caribbean, which will ban plastic straws on all cruises by this year's end; SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, which has started banning plastic straws in all its theme parks; and Bon Appetit Management, which will forego the use of plastic straws by September 2019.