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Straw or no straw? Maine businesses sucked into the latest 'green' movement

To reduce waste, Sea Dog Brewing Company has stopped putting straws in drinks unless customers ask for one

BANGOR (NEWS CENTER Maine) – The tiny plastic tubes in every restaurant drink are stirring up a big movement across the country and now here in Maine.

A proposal will be presented to McDonald’s shareholders Thursday to ask the restaurant chain to find alternatives to plastic straws at all of their locations.

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Dozens of Maine restaurants from Portland to Bar Harbor are jumping on board ahead of the busy summer tourist season, including Sea Dog Brewing Company restaurants.

"In the big picture you don't think it's that much, but absolutely it is,” manager Bert Follero said.

Follero said the Bangor location has used as many as 3,000 straws in a day during the busy summer months.

The business has now stopped putting straws in drinks unless the customer asks for one as they continue to try and find a reasonable alternative.

"We're looking at going as much as possible biodegradable,” Follero said.

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Five hundred million straws are thrown away every day, according to the National Park Service. That’s enough to fill 125 school buses or wrap around the entire globe 2.5 times.

“When we think about straws, straws are not bad. I love straws! I love to drink through straws!" Dr. Cindy Isenhour said.

Isenhour, with the UMaine Climate Change Institute, said this movement is a big step toward getting rid of unnecessary waste.

RELATED ► Plastic straws illegal unless requested under California bill — with up to a $1,000 fine attached

The plastic straw is one of the top plastic waste items found in the ocean and on beaches. Isenhour said the power of this trend is not just in consumers recycling or refusing to use straws.

"Interestingly enough in terms of materials used, that doesn't make as much of a difference as the social pressure that it generates,” Isenhour said.

That pressure, she said, could eventually force manufacturers to produce a sustainable option.

Managers at Sea Dog are still working with distributors to find the best alternative, including plant-based straws. Follero said it has been a bit of a challenge to find an affordable option that is manufactured in large quantities.

“Once more companies start making it, then it will be less expensive, so logistically I think everyone will fall in line,” Follero said. “I just think it's the right thing to do."

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