NPR

Malibu Moves To Ban Single-Use Plastic

Whether you think it's time or a waste of time, the city of Malibu decided to ban the use of plastic straws, utensils and stirrers as a means of reducing their harmful effects on the environment.
Sheila Morovati is president and founder of the Crayon Collection that works to provide crayons to under-serving schools across the country.

In terms of environmental impact, there are alternatives to plastic straws — glass, paper, metal even. But each one had its particular flaw in the eyes of Robert Morris, who owns the Paradise Cove restaurant in Malibu, Calif.

"I've tried paper, but they just don't work as well with our cocktails, and we've had paper straws in the past for years, but pasta straws are just better and take less time to decompose," Morris said.

Morris' concern about the consequences, which is moving to ban single-use plastic straws, utensils and stirrers to reduce the harmful effects on the environment. Restaurants and other businesses have until June 1 to swap out plastic for reusable and biodegradable straws and cutlery.

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