- A bar in Melbourne removed plastic straws in favour of paper straws
- Dr Morse Bar and Eatery’s Annabelle Lee charged patrons 50 cents per item
- They were able to inform customers why they were cutting down on plastic
Retail outlets moving away from single-use plastic bags and straws have faced backlash amid the country’s move towards becoming more environmentally friendly.
A bar in Melbourne removed plastic straws in favour of paper straws, and charged patrons 50 cents per item, but customers weren’t happy with change.
‘Some patrons felt entitled to have a straw come with their drink as a paying customer, some were just confused,’ Dr Morse Bar and Eatery’s Annabelle Lee told news.com.au.
A bar in Melbourne removed plastic straws in favour of paper straws, and charged patrons 50 cents per item
‘It was, at times, a tedious conversation to have for example late on a Saturday night,’ Ms Lee said.
Following the negative response, the establishment cut the 50 cent fee and instead switched to a oxo biodegradable straw which was available on a request-only basis.
The popular cafe, known for its Asian fusion menu and cocktails, cut down from going through about 2000 plastic straws every month to closer to 500.
Ms Lee said the bar previously left containers of straws on the counter but customers would take handfuls and large quantities would end up in the garden.
This comes as Woolworths recently announced its decision to discontinue to sale of disposable straws by the end of the year.
This will see 134 million plastic straws removed from circulation.
Coles also announced its decision to improve recycling, and remove plastic wrapping from bananas.
Ms Lee said the bar previously left containers of straws on the counter but customers would take handfuls and large quantities would end up in the garden
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