Disney has just announced that — in an effort to increase environmental stewardship — the company “will eliminate single-use plastic straws and plastic stirrers at all owned and operated locations across the globe” by mid-2019.

According to the announcement, this change will amount to a reduction of more than 175 million straws and 13 million stirrers annually.

Additional measures in this vein will include the business-wide elimination of polystyrene cups, and the reduction of the number of plastic shopping bags in the Parks, Resorts, and on Disney Cruise Line. (Guests will have the option to purchase reusable bags.)

Resort rooms and Disney Cruise Line staterooms will also see changes. Over the next few years, Disney will transition to refillable in-room amenities, “reducing plastics in guest rooms by 80 percent.”

Bob Chapek, Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products, had this to share: ““Eliminating plastic straws and other plastic items are meaningful steps in our long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship. These new global efforts help reduce our environmental footprint, and advance our long-term sustainability goals.”

Disney also invites guests to explore the following website: www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/environment.

What do you think of the changes coming to Disney Parks and Resorts? Please let us know with a comment!