News No More Plastic Straws or Bags at SeaWorld, Ikea, and Royal Caribbean

[Nicole]

This announcement is probably good PR, but it is hardly "new." SEAS got rid of plastic straws and bags ages ago. Unless they still used them outside of Virginia and Florida?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...astic-straws-and-bags/?utm_term=.a2a047f2bfb1

SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. announced Thursday that its 12 theme parks had removed “all single-use plastic drinking straws and single-use plastic shopping bags.” In a statement, interim chief executive John Reilly called the move “a testament to our mission to protect the environment, the ocean and animals … which are currently threatened by unprecedented amounts of plastic pollution.”

 

[Gavin]

Paper Straw+Milkshake=

 

[BGWPinGuy]

Busch just got paper straws this season, so maybe they were waiting for that, but I still fell like they could of announced it earlier.

 

[Zimmy]

When I was in middle school Seaworld was using paper. Back in in '89 UVA was in the Citrus Bowl playing the Illini. My dad and some of his friends took my mom, sister, and me down for the game. UVA had there pep rally at Seaworld. I remember 6 things about it:

1. I could see a Titan launch that night.
2. My dad was briefly interviewed by Channel 3
3. Michael Bolton is terrifying (he played the party)
4. back in the day they did a bad job of checking IDs.
5. It was damn cold for central Florida at New Years
6. Seaworld was using, what I thought were kind of weird straws. As I recall mom explained it all to me and it made perfect sence to my teenage mind.

p.s. As per usual UVA pulled defeat out of the jaws of victory.

 

[VonDerrick]

It's not the first time BGW used paper straws, they tried them before and got rid of them because of how impractical they can be -- they tear and wear out too quickly. You can't even enjoy a regular sized drink without them becoming wilted and soft.

 

[Nicole]

Before (re)introducing paper straws, the parks simply had no straws at all. The statement has no relationship to any actual policy changes that I can detect, unless I am missing something.

My point was that the parks did not recently get rid of plastic bags and straws. They have a long-standing policy of not usding them, because of SEAS' conservation mission.

I do think, however, that the announcement could be good for their image, even if is it nonsense.

 

[Unagi]

It's not the first time BGW used paper straws, they tried them before and got rid of them because of how impractical they can be -- they tear and wear out too quickly. You can't even enjoy a regular sized drink without them becoming wilted and soft.

I remember when they did that. I believe is was early to mid-1990s and didn't last very long.

 

[luseendesi]

The worst is the frozen beverages! Imagine having a milkshake with them this summer.

 

[Nicole]

Personally, I prefer the paper straws to having nothing at all. It is easier to drink from a cup with a straw, when you are walking around.

And I 100% support SEAS not using the plastic straws. If the research is true, they are killing animals. Besides SEAS own conservation focus, I can't in good conscious prioritize my convenience over a life.

 

[Zimmy]

I rarely use straws (pretty much in the car and when walking about). When I am at restuarnts my friends are often surprised when I ask the waitress to not bring me one. My usual retort is, "real men don't use straws!" The truth of the matter is that when I was about 15 I went through a very serious conservation period, hell I even became a vegetarian for a time. (lasted until one of good friends won his weight class at the VA Prep Finals. It was the first time anyone from my school had done that since the 70s. We went for steak after... I gave in.) ANYWAY... I stopped using straws at this time for environmental reasons. While I may have become... somewhat less... motivated, I just never got back into the habit.

 

[SukaUniFl]

Personally, I prefer the paper straws to having nothing at all. It is easier to drink from a cup with a straw, when you are walking around.

And I 100% support SEAS not using the plastic straws. If the research is true, they are killing animals. Besides SEAS own conservation focus, I can't in good conscious prioritize my convenience over a life.

I am the same way @Nicole if a straw they give me to use can hurt and are killing animals, then ByeFelicia to the straws. Besides I am a 100% Animal Lover, I have to turn the channel when those ASPCA commercials come on. So good for SEAS to say NO STRAWS. Besides, I usually pour my drink when they even give a straw, I pour it in my HHN25 Tervis . Now I am wondering if I have straws some where from any place at my house, I guess when I get back from Uni Hollywood, I am gonna find how to get rid of them, so that they can't hurt any animal. I care more about animals then people sometimes. I hope BGW, BGT get rid of straws, I don't even remember if they even have straws its been 3 years. Thanks again for this Nicole, I hope Uni does this too,

 

[CastleOSullivan]

^ BGW has full paper straw implementation this season. They started doing that a while ago, but the straws were hard to come by in most places until this season.

 

[Nicole]

I feel as if this conversation is going in circles.

My initial point was that Busch and SeaWorld parks did not first ban plastic straws and bags with this announcement. I believe (hope) the press release was designed to improve SEAS' public image and garner (much deserved) credit for the things they do every day as part of their conservation focus. I do not believe it represents a change in policy at all.

With the exception of what I think was a brief mistake (based on a conversation I had with Culinary), I cannot remember the last time either was available at any SEAS park I have visited. This year -- prior to this announcement -- BGW started offering paper straws, which are a safe alternative to plastic.