FAIRFAX, VA.—Guest Services Inc. announced that the organization will entirely abandon the use of plastic straws at its owned and managed properties by the end of 2018 to significantly reduce its environmental footprint.
This multi-faceted campaign, “Skip the Straw,” will be executed in several phases throughout the remainder of the year—ultimately eliminating millions of straws a year while bringing awareness to an important issue for the hospitality industry to address.
Over the past several decades, plastic straws have become an expected amenity in purchased beverages and have subsequently grown into a major source of pollution. Straws are often disposed of incorrectly, and even if recycled appropriately, the sorting machines at waste processing facilities are often ill-equipped to identify these small plastic tubes. Unfortunately, plastic straws frequently end up in the ocean where they have been effectively killing marine life all over the globe.
The new Guest Services initiative will begin with the #NoStrawChallenge in which Guest Services locations will only offer single-use disposable straws upon request. This program is effective immediately and is a springboard for the transition to a new paper biodegradable straw alternative that will also be available by request only. By the end of the year, the organization looks to eliminate the use of plastic straws at all dining facilities, communities, eateries, lodging and other Guest Services properties across the nation.
Straws Pose Danger to Marine Life
“This is an historic moment for our organization, our clients, and our valued customers,” says Gerry Gabrys, CEO of Guest Services, Inc. “‘Skip the Straw’ is the latest policy of our ongoing sustainability campaign designed in the interests of global environmental preservation. The impact of such a small utility may seem negligible, but the reality is that straws pose an incredible danger to marine life that would be wrong to ignore. Guest Services looks forward to being a meaningful part of the positive wave of industry influencers who are leading the charge in the elimination of plastic straws.”
The company’s sustainability strategies work to reduce consumption, to reuse items, and to recycle or compost items, and are a significant component of overall executive planning. At many Guest Services properties, vehicle charging stations are available; compressed gas vehicles are utilized; LED lighting is installed; non-carbon dioxide electricity sources make up almost half of total energy consumption; an electronic records system vastly reduces paper consumption; environmentally friendly purchasing strategies are implemented to reduce waste, fossil fuel emissions, and harmful gas production; sustainable food and cooking efforts utilize local and healthier sources through their programs such as Dolphin Safe and Go Local; hydration stations are available to encourage the use of reusable bottles; unused amenities as well as gently used furniture and linens are donated to local charities; regular recycling of paper, glass, cardboard, plastic, aluminum, and cooking oil is practiced company-wide; and fluorescent lights, batteries, and other possibly hazardous items are recycled and tracked through a Lamptracker System.
Guest Services has also been recognized for its outstanding sustainability efforts by the National Park Service ISO Certification at Mount Rainier National Park and in the National Capital Region.
For more information about Guest Services and their environmental initiatives, visit https://www.guestservices.com/about-us/sustainability/.
