Disney to eliminate plastic straws, hotel in-room plastics and plastic shopping bags

In an announcement today, The Walt Disney Company plans to eliminate single-use plastic straws and plastic stirrers at all owned and operated locations across the globe, amounting to a reduction of more than 175 million straws and 13 million stirrers annually.

Also announced are plans to transition to refillable in-room amenities in hotels and cruise ships, reducing plastics in guest rooms by 80 percent.

Plans also call for Disney to reduce the number of plastic shopping bags in owned and operated parks and on Disney cruise line, offering guests the option to purchase reusable bags at a nominal price.

Refillable amenities as seen here on the far left at Port Orleans will become standard

Finally, the company will eliminate polystyrene cups across its globally owned and operated business

The company plans to implement most changes by mid-2019.

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

“Disney has always been inspired by nature – and it is a uniquely powerful brand that inspires, educates, and entertains, all at the same time,” said Dr. M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International. “Today’s announcement is more than about reducing single-use plastic waste, it’s also about showing millions of kids and adults from around the world the many ways we can change our daily habits to care for the oceans and protect nature that sustains us all. It also builds on Disney’s longstanding commitment to conservation and environmental stewardship, a legacy that stretches from the highlands of Peru to the islands of the South Pacific.”

You can find out more about Disney's environmental commitment at https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/environment/.