Skip the Straw Greenwich

About Our Campaign

Skip the Straw Greenwich aims to increase awareness about the impact of single-use plastics & to protect our ecosystems, environment & economy through community outreach & education. Plastic waste enters rivers & the Long Island Sound & litters our neighborhoods, choking economies, harming wildlife & impacting public health. In the coastal town of Greenwich, local waterways & shorelines are an important part of our lifestyle, economy & culture. Skip the Straw Greenwich encourages residents & businesses to take simple steps to protect the beauty & health of these natural resources & stem the tide of litter and waste… one straw at a time!

Straw Facts

500 million plastic straws are used every dayin the United States. That’s enough straws to wrap around the earth 2.5 times a day, or fill Yankee Stadium over 9 times a year! Learn more.
Straws are among the top 10 litter items found on beaches during the annual International Coastal Cleanup. Learn more.
Plastic straws are not recyclable in Greenwich. They are challenging to sort at the recycling center because of their shape and size and because they lack a resin code, so they can contaminate recyclables. They must be put in the trash bin! Learn more.
A plastic straw will stay in the environment for hundreds of years, causing harm to wildlife and people. Straws & other plastics hurt sealife when they are mistaken for food. When animals encounter plastics, they can become entangled or can starve due to ingestion. Scientists estimate that more than half of all sea turtles have eaten plastic. Learn more.
Plastic pollution affects waterways & marine life locally! The Town of Greenwich Shellfish Commission, in conjunction with the University of Connecticut, is studying the impact of microplastics in the Long Island Sound & how they affect the seafood we eat. Learn more.

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Take Action!

Making a Difference in Our Community

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Over 130 volunteers cleaned up more than 4000 pounds of trash at Greenwich Point!

For Residents

When eating out, ask your serve to skip the plastic straw & stirrer.
BYO eco-friendly alternative!
Encourage your favorite dining establishments to serve straws by request only or switch to an alternative to plastic.
Limit your use of single-use, disposable plastics opting for reusables instead.
Pick up litter & properly dispose of it.
Participate in beach cleanups.

Greenwich Girl Scout Ambassadors present Le Fat Poodle in Old Greenwich with a certificate of action for switching to a paper straw alternative!

For Food Establishments

Serve straws to patrons by request only.
Replace plastic straws with an eco-friendly alternative, like paper, stainless steel, pasta or reed.
Studies show consumer preference toward sustainable businesses & products.

Eco-friendly Alternatives

If you really need a straw, a wide variety of alternatives to plastic straws is available to residents locally at our partnering merchants and online, including stainless steel, reed, paper, glass and silicone. There are even edible straws, make your own ice straws and foldable metal straws that fit on your keychain. Tiffany's is marketing a sterling silver crazy straw! Great resources can be found at The Last Plastic Straw.

Compostable Bioplastic Straws?

Don't be fooled by misleading labels! Bioplastics and bio-based plastics are derived from plant material, like corn, sugar cane and more, and are often labeled "compostable," "eco-friendly", or "biodegradable," creating consumer confusion. These materials are designed to be composted in industrial composting facilities, which are not available in our area, rather than backyard composter or the environment. Just like their petroleum-based counterpart, they are not recyclable or biodegradable, and must be disposed in the trash. In recycling facilities, these plant-based materials can cause significant contamination and can decrease the value of true recyclables. They do not break down on land or in marine environments but fragment into smaller pieces, remaining for centuries. To learn more, check out the B.A.N. List 2.0 study.