The Last Straw

Bath businesses and organisations that are committed to avoiding or phasing out plastic straws

    • The Cafe on the Barge, Bathampton
    • Picnic
    • Beyond the Kale
    • The King of Wessex pub (Wetherspoons)
    • Thoughtful Bread Company
    • Jamie’s Italian
    • Society Cafe
    • All Bar One
    • The Egg
    • Wild Cafe
    • Bath Brew House
    • Gather Cafe
    • The Salamander pub
    • Hunter & Sons
    • Cascara
    • The Cork
    • Bath Spa University Students’ Union Bar
    • Cafe at St. Michael’s Without
    • Mus Coffee House
    • The Green Rocket
    • The Cakery
    • Velo Lounge
    • Neston Park Farm Shop
    • TGI Fridays
    • Bath One Stop Shop Cafe
    • Essence Cafe, Midsomer Norton
    • Boston Tea Party
    • The Forester and Flower

Families for a Bright Future are campaigning to make Bath a plastic straw-free city, and would love all Bath restaurants, bars and cafes to get involved!

You may have seen reports last year predicting that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans (by weight) than fish. 

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Plastic straws and drink stirrers are major offenders, being one of the top ten items of marine debris found on our beaches. 

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Plastic never properly biodegrades.  Plastic straws will last in landfill for hundreds of years, potentially leaching toxins into the earth and water.  Producing them uses fossil fuels, and recycling them uses energy.   Plastic straws are used only once, for no more than a few minutes, but their environmental impact can be long-lasting.

We are writing to cafes, bars and restaurants across Bath asking them to review their policy on handing out disposable plastic straws.  We are asking them to consider:

– stopping using plastic straws completely

– providing reusable or biodegradable straws instead

  asking customers if they need a straw before handing one out

– only providing a straw if customers actually ask for one

– taking steps to reduce plastic in other ways, in particular single use plastic items

Already, across the globe, countries (France, India, Costa Rica), cities (Seattle, Philadelphia) and business are making the right decision to ban single use plastics, including straws.

Could Bath be next?  Why not have a chat with your server the next time you’re in a Bath cafe or restaurant and try to convince them that it’s time for the Last Straw.