Showing its commitment to a sustainable environment, The University of Plymouth Students’ Union (UPSU) will no longer be serving plastic straws in the SU Bar.

Taking a stance for a sustainable world and reducing plastic waste is a priority for UPSU. Many bars and restaurants are joining the global movement to eliminate plastic drinking straws from landfills, streams, oceans and beaches. Following the National Union of Students #TheLastStraw campaign, UPSU will no longer serve single use plastics straws from the main SU bar.

The campaign at University of Plymouth was fronted by the UPSU’s Vice President of Activities, Alex Doyle and the People and Planet Society  

Alex said:
This is a great step for UPSU to take and shows our commitment to a sustainable environment. As an NUS Green Impact organisation it is important that we are setting an example and ensuring that the environment is at the forefront of our thinking in all areas of the organisation.

It is estimated that 500 million straws are used and discarded every day in the United States alone – that’s 175 billion a year filtering into landfills and littering our waterways and oceans. They are used for an average of 20 minutes, but their effect lasts a lifetime. Thousands of seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles die every year when they ingest or get entangled in plastic pollution – 80% of which comes from the land.

How can you help?

• Request ‘no straw’ when visiting bars and restaurants
• Help us spread the word by sharing the graphics below on Twitter using #TheLastStraw. Remember to include @NUSUK and we’ll do our best to retweet!
• If you really can’t do without…there’s lots of compostable or reusable options on the market as an alternative to single-use plastic products.  Next time you go for a drink, why not use your own paper, glass, bamboo or stainless steel straw – there’s lots of choices available
• Find out more and sign the pledge to show you’re supporting #TheLastStraw at www.nus.org.uk