BURLINGTON – With rising pressure from consumers to ban single-use plastic items, the Burlington City Council is planning to introduce a new measure that would eliminate plastic straws within the city limits at all restaurants, bars, convenience stores, and supermarkets. The plan would require vendors and servers to provide an alternative to the plastic straw in the form of a cereal straw.
“This is really the best solution for the people of Burlington,” said council president Kurt Wright. It’s going to get rid of a lot of trash from our streets and from the lake, and people will still be able to use straws, which is important for people with certain handicaps and sensory issues. The new straws that we will be requiring businesses to purchase are completely bio-degradable, and 100% edible. I think people are going to be pleased.”
Councillor Wright denied that the decision had anything to do with the recent sponsorship by Kellogg’s to renovate City Hall Park.
There’s a better solution. Real straws. My grandpa used to go out and get thick stems from the grain field, cut out sections between nodes, and give them to us kids. My kids learned the same trick. Where do you all think the term “straw” came from. The answer has been here, right under our noses all along. Of course, Vermont is in a good position to make the transition to real straw, being surrounded by it. Some kind of adaptation will need to be made for urban areas: what an opportunity for yet another cottage industry for Vermonters! Our economy is poised to adapt to the growing awareness by urbanites that they too can be part of the solution, and help rural areas grow their economies at the same time. Totally win-win.