Disney to Eliminate Single-Use Plastic Straws, Stirrers

A week after Starbucks Coffee announced plans to remove single-use plastic straws and coffee stirrers from stores, Disney joined the effort to help rid the planet of plastic pollution by following suit.

By the middle of next year, all Disney locations will operate without single-use straws and stirrers, which will eliminate more than 175 million straws and 13 million stirrers annually, the company said in a statement, noting that the move is part of the company's "long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship."

"Eliminating plastic straws and other plastic items are meaningful steps in our long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship," said Bob Chapek, the chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products. "These new global efforts help reduce our environmental footprint, and advance our long-term sustainability goals."

(MORE: Great Pacific Garbage Patch Now Twice the Size of Texas and Rapidly Growing)

The company also announced plans to transition to refillable in-room amenities in hotels and on cruise ships in the coming years, which would reduce plastics in guest rooms by 80 percent.

"We will also reduce the number of plastic shopping bags in our owned and operated parks and on our cruise line, offering guests the option to purchase reusable bags at a nominal price," the company said in the press release.

Some environmental groups praised Disney's move.

"Disney has always been inspired by nature – and it is a uniquely powerful brand that inspires, educates and entertains, all at the same time," said Dr. M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International. "Today’s announcement is more than about reducing single-use plastic waste, it’s also about showing millions of kids and adults from around the world the many ways we can change our daily habits to care for the oceans and protect nature that sustains us all."

Banning straws and other plastics has become more commonplace in many municipalities and businesses. San Francisco joined several other cities this week in banning single-use plastic straws.

It's estimated that one garbage truck's worth of plastic enters the oceans every minute.

A study published in the journal Science Advances in April 2017 found that there are roughly 300 billion pieces of plastic floating in the Arctic Ocean. One garbage patch teeming with plastics grew to twice the size of Texas, or 600,000 square miles, in March.