The Walt Disney Company has announced a commitment to reduce plastic waste that includes eliminating plastic straws on Disney Cruise Line’s four cruise ships.
By mid-2019, The Walt Disney Company will eliminate single-use plastic straws and plastic stirrers at all owned and operated locations across the globe, amounting to a reduction of more than 175 million straws and 13 million stirrers annually.
Disney Cruise Line joins other cruise lines, including industry giants Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line, in moving away from single use plastic straws.
In addition, over the next few years Disney is transitioning to refillable in-room amenities in their hotels and on their cruise ships, reducing plastics in guest rooms by 80 percent. They will also reduce the number of plastic shopping bags in their owned and operated parks and on their cruise line, offering guests the option to purchase reusable bags at a nominal price.
Finally, Disney will complete their work to eliminate polystyrene cups across their global owned and operated business. These steps are part of Disney’s long-term effort to reduce single-use plastics, and the company will continue recycling and responsibly disposing single-use waste that cannot be eliminated.
Bob Chapek, Chairman of Disney Parks, gave the following statement: “Eliminating plastic straws and other plastic items are meaningful steps in our long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship. These new global efforts help reduce our environmental footprint, and advance our long-term sustainability goals.”
