In August 2018, Hard Rock International pledged to help 'Save the Planet' by eliminating plastic straws in all of their outlets in addition to existing 'green' initiatives already in place at the Hard Rock Cafes/Hotels/Casinos globally.
On a visit to their Edinburgh outlet in April 2019, plastic straws were still being used. What made it ironic was that only a few feet away t-shirts emblazoned with 'Save The Planet' were on display.
Why Do Straws suck?
Disposable straws are usually made from plastic and plastic never breaks down. As time goes by plastic will separate into smaller and smaller pieces, but never completely biodegrades.
In USA alone, 500 million straws are used every single day. We use straws for around twenty minutes before we toss them away, which is an astonishingly quick lifespan for an item that will be on the planet forever. Straws also contain BPA, and can't be recycled.
It can be hard to see how using one measly plastic straw is going to cause huge amounts of damage to the environment, but let me put in to context for you. Recently a team of scientists in Costa Rica came across an endangered species of sea turtle with what they thought was a parasitic worm blocking its airway. They realised it was actually a plastic straw. Hours from veterinary help, the scientists successfully dislodged the straw themselves and released the turtle back into the ocean.
Please sign the petition asking them to fulfill their promise.
