Last Friday Julian Sturdy, Member of Parliament for York Outer, visited The Hungry Horse in Skelton to see first-hand how they are reducing their plastic waste contribution by replacing plastic straws with a sustainable alternative.
The pub’s owners, Greene King, are responding to calls from government and the public to reduce consumption of single-use plastic by introducing new compostable PLA straws made from corn starch across all of their 1750 UK pubs.
This is accompanied by a new ‘closed loop solution’ to ensure the straws are carefully disposed of, being taken back through pub supply chains and composted in soil, instead of going to incineration or landfill.
After meeting staff at the pub and testing out the new straws, Julian Sturdy said:
“As a long-time campaigner against plastic waste dating back to my time pre-Westminster on Harrogate Council, I am very encouraged to see York-based businesses like The Hungry Horse taking clear steps to cut back their usage of single-use plastic.
I was impressed to learn Greene King’s commitment will mean 30 million fewer plastic straws are used each year, and I hope many others in York and across business will follow their example.
It is forward-thinking measures like this that will enable the country to deliver on the government’s target of zero avoidable plastic waste by 2042. I will continue to hold the government to account on this, as I already have regarding important questions of microplastics, and a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles.”