A&W Food Services of Canada, a North American quick service restaurant chain, is set to replace plastic straws with biodegradable paper straws across its restaurants by the end of this year.
Image: A&W Canada to eliminate plastic straws from all restaurants. Photo: courtesy of CNW Group / A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.
Marking the World Oceans Day, the quick service burger chain has taken the decision to eliminate plastic straws.
With the company’s latest move, 82 million plastic straws will be eliminated from landfills every year.
A&W Canada president and CEO Susan Senecal said: “Reducing waste from landfills is a top priority for A&W and this is one big way that we can make a difference.
“We are proud to make this change, which has been driven by the wishes of our guests, franchisees, and staff.”
The quick service restaurant chain said the sustainably sourced paper straws are 100% biodegradable and compostable.
The paper straws can survive up to two to three hours in a drink without breaking down and naturally biodegrade between three and six months in the environment.
A&W Canada distribution, equipment and packaging director Tyler Pronyk said: “Introducing packaging innovations that reduce waste is key to A&W’s environmental strategy.
“By using compostable packaging, real mugs, plates and cutlery, we are diverting millions of single-use packaging from landfills every year.”
A&W Food Services is one of the major brands in the Canadian foodservice industry. It is claimed to be the nation’s second largest hamburger chain with over 925 locations coast-to-coast.
World Oceans Day is celebrated on 8 June every year, which is promoted by the Ocean Project with the support of organizations from all sectors including the World Ocean Network, Association of Zoos and aquariums.
The day is an annual observation to honor, help protect and conserve the world’s oceans. The conservation action theme for World Oceans Day 2018 is preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean.