Originally published at: THE FINAL STRAW: Seattle Bans Plastic Straws, Knives, Forks | Sean Hannity
Seattle, Washington became the first major city in the United States to issue an all-out ban on plastic straws, forks, and knives over the weekend; barring restaurants and shops from using the utensils to help protect the local environment.
“Starting July 1, restaurants in the Emerald City are now barred from providing customers plastic straws, cocktail picks or utensils unless someone specifically requests one. Then, a customer should be given a compostable option,” writes Fox News.
The ban impacts over 5,000 restaurants and food providers in the region.
“Plastic pollution is surpassing crisis levels in the world’s oceans, and I’m proud Seattle is leading the way and setting an example for the nation by enacting a plastic straw ban,” said Mami Hara, the general manager of Seattle Public Utilities.
According to recent statistics published by the National Park Service, Americans use an estimated 500 million straws per day.
