In July 2018, customers in Seattle – the largest city in the State of Washington, along the United States’ Pacific Coast – will have to ask for a biodegradable paper straw with their drink, or decide to go without it.
While it’s a small change, it has life-saving implications for the ocean. The so-called Emerald City had already banned plastic utensils and grocery bags, but decided to eliminate single-use plastic straws as well following a “Strawless in Seattle” campaign by the Lonely Whale Foundation, the non-profit founded by UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador Adrian Grenier.