Worried about how you can enjoy suspiciously affordable lobster and shrimp at Red Lobster without compromising your environmental ethics? Well, Red Lobster is trying to tip the scales in its favor by eliminating plastic straws from its restaurants (they’ll still be available upon request) and replacing them with an eco-friendly alternative straw by 2020.
The chain usually powers through 150 million plastic straws every year, but now, they’re the "first large casual dining restaurant company to make a commitment to eliminate plastic straws from our restaurants," Kim Lopdrup, CEO of Red Lobster, said in a press release.
More: Starbucks Is Banning Plastic Straws & Adding 2 New Cold Drinks to Its Menu
Unlike some chains that are skipping straws altogether (like Starbucks), Red Lobster is working with disability advocates to make sure their eco-friendly alternative choice works for people with a variety of needs and abilities. Like Starbucks, the chain will still give out plastic straws on request for those who need them, but it’s good to see that they want to make sure the straw they offer by default works for everyone.
Red Lobster plans to complete the switch to eco-friendly straws in all 700-plus restaurants by 2020 and will begin the changes starting this November.
It follows an arguably more impactful move in early 2018 toward sourcing its seafood sustainably and making sure it is all traceable, a transition they’re making with the help of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program.
And though change can be scary, at least there’s this: You can always soothe yourself with a big basket of Cheddar Bay biscuits.
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