Dozens of Utah restaurants go “strawless”
Apr 27, 2018, 12:38 PM
LOGAN, Utah – The Greek Streak II restaurant may be far from Salt Lake City, but that didn’t stop owner, Mario Trejo from joining the Strawless in SLC cause. Since Monday, he’s removed straws from the soda fountain area of his restaurant.
:” Mario Trejo prepares gyros inside his restaurant, The Greak Streak II Wednesday afternoon.
“It made me think about how much plastic we are using here,” Trejo explained. “I wish we had done it sooner, because we have been open for two years, and thinking about how many straws we went through is quite scary.”
Mario Trejo eliminated straws from his restaurant.
Strawless in SLC set a goal to enlist 50 restaurants within the city limits by Earth Day, Sunday, April 22. Instead, they signed on 136 restaurants, thanks to combined efforts with The Green Party of Utah, which convinced Costa Vida to include all 95 of their locations. Similar efforts have started up around the country, which focus on eliminating plastic straws, since the resin used to make them is unable to be recycled.
Trejo, who serves mostly return customers at his small restaurant says he hasn’t had any major complaints. So far, only a few customers have requested straws. Customers, like Kevin Payne noticed, but didn’t mind the change.
John Payne(left) and Kevin Payne(right) enjoy their sodas with flip open lids, outside The Greek Streak II in Logan.
“I remember thinking out loud like, ‘where did the straws go?'” Payne said. “And then I saw the sign and was like, ‘okay,’ I mean, they have these cool little lids that you can drink out of anyways.”
Strawless SLC recruited more than 100 restaurants to eliminate plastic straws.
Restaurants that join in the effort can use the flip-open style lids, or biodegradable options, like paper straws. Trejo says the small change was easy to make, and he believes it will make a big difference.
“It’s just a part of life to use them (straws) with your everyday sodas and drinks, but when you think about it, you don’t really need it,” Trejo said. “So, when you’re given that challenge, ‘do I need it? Do I not?’ Most people are just not going to use it.”
