Whole Foods is the latest big name to join the plastic straw ban initiative as the company said we are only a couple of months away from beginning to offer paper straws in an attempt to help save the environment.
The Amazon-owned grocer has responded to customer demands, unveiling that it has joined the list of companies banning plastic straws. The business said it will stop serving plastic straws across all of its 500 stores located in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Canada.
Whole Foods adds that it believes it is the first national grocery chain to enact such a ban, which will no longer see it serve plastic straws at its juice and coffee bars, as well as its cafes. The company said it will start offering paper straws beginning in July, although plastic straws will still be made available for customers with disabilities upon request.
The grocery business said it will also reduce the amount of plastic it uses in other parts of its stores as it will offer smaller plastic bags in the produce department. Whole Foods will also start using new bags for its rotisserie chicken, using 70% less plastic than the hard plastic cases they are currently available in.
The grocer stopped giving out disposable plastic bags in 2008 as it now offers only paper bags. It also sells reusable plastic bags.
