With plastic straw ban in effect, visitors at Fort Myers Beach quickly adapt

The straw has not broken Fort Myers Beach's back.

On the first day of a plastic straw ban Sunday, with more than sufficient crowds flocking to the actual beach, Times Square and surrounding walkways, there was nary such a device in sight.

"The beach is a little cleaner this year," said Matthew Dinkel, a Fort Myers Beach resident who was part of a 300-strong force of picker-uppers who were gleaning trash Sunday. "There's nowhere near as many straws this year."

Dinkel, and his 12-year-old daughter, Ella, were scanning the plaza just to the west of Fifth Avenue and Old San Carlos Boulevard on Sunday morning as part an annual beach cleanup event sponsored by Tunaskin Aquatic Apparel, which just happened to coincide with the straw ban's start.

Dinkel said he and his daughter were still finding straws, but not as many. "A lot of the tiny, little red ones," he said.

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The ban was approved Nov. 6 by the Fort Myers Beach Town Council with an ordinance that prohibited distribution of plastic drinking straws in the town, with limited exceptions. The ordinance allows straws made of paper, plant, vegetable and other materials containing nothing artificial or synthetic.

The ordinance exempts plastic straws used in private homes, at the Beach public school or those prepackaged with drinks outside the town — like single-serve juice and milk cartons.

Some plastic straws did slip through, deliberately or not.

Jane and Jim Schroeder, of Iowa, were walking down Times Square at midday sipping drinks through plastic straws.

Jane Schoeder said she had heard of the ban but really hadn't thought about it when she and her husband purchased their drinks.

"I thought we had to ask for them first," she said. The couple's bloody Mary and Bahama mama, alcoholic mixed drinks, are not allowed away from the place of purchase due to ordinance, plastic straw or not.

The couple, chagrined by their transgression, said they hoped they wouldn't get in trouble.

Another plastic straw showed up in a large, plastic Big Gulp drink container plopped in a chair cup holder being used by Jennifer Long as she sunbathed on the beach near the Lani Kai.

"I got this two days ago at the 7/Eleven," the Ontario, Canada, resident said.

Long said the ban was a good idea to keep trash off the beach.

"I promise, I'll recycle it," she said.

After the vote in November, Town Manager Roger Hernstadt said warnings would be the first line of defense.

“That’s where education comes in; everything allows for a warning,” he said when asked how unknowing visitors will be treated.

Violators will face citation penalties ranging from a $100 fine for a first offense to a $500 fine for the third offense or more within a year.

That would cover visitors such as Janice Liebecki, of Macomb Township, Michigan, who was relaxing on a Times Square bench and sipping a cold Dairy Queen drink fitted with a paper straw, but unaware of the ban.

"I thought it was kind of odd, but I noticed right away," she said. "Generally, I think they never made paper products that stand up to a medium-sized drink."

The beach cleanup, the third annual event sponsored by Tunaskin, helped rid the beach of possible errant plastic straws, cans, bottles, paper and other items, with a mountain of blue bags of recyclable trash and white-and-black bags of regular trash piled up outside the store on Estero Boulevard and Avenue A.

"We do this as a way to give back to the community," said Sara Hilderbrand, an event coordinator. "It was just coincidental to the straw ban."

For the most part, places on the Beach that serve drinks have made the transition from plastic to paper (or other suitable product).

Servers at Plaka, a Greek restraurant on Times Square, distribute wrapped paper straws with drink orders and let customers unwrap and place, to give them a little bit more use time.

Nomiki Neskes, one of the owners of Plaka, said the restaurant switched over soon after the ordinance was passed and when their stock of plastic straws was exhausted.

"We've been doing it since the notice," she said. "It took a couple weeks to get rid of our stock."

Customers took the switch in stride.

"It doesn't bother me any," said Dan DeMeester, of Detroit. "I think its a good idea."

And there are some Beach visitors, such as Cape Coral resident Toni Walker, who take the straw ban very seriously.

"I think its damn fabulous," said the frequent beachgoer.

Sitting with her 22-year-old daughter, Candice, just out of wave reach, Toni Walker said she has no problem going up to people who litter or drop cans or bottles on the beach and making them pick up their detritus.

"She's got me doing it too," her daughter said with a laugh.

"I love the beach, I treasure this beach, any beach" Toni Walker said. "I am a true believer. Only leave your footprints. That's how I live."

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