Delaware North Begins ‘The Last Straw’ Campaign to Reduce Plastic Waste

Delaware North announced a commitment to reduce plastic waste by scaling back its use of straws at the company’s 200-plus dining locations at 23 airports and travel hubs across the United States. Dubbed “The Last Straw” campaign, the initiative will seek to curb excess plastic waste by offering drinking straws on a request-only basis.

“Plastic waste is a well-known problem when it comes to environmental pollution, with more than 80 percent of the harmful debris found in our oceans coming from plastic products,” said Deb Friedel, Delaware North’s director of sustainability. “It’s estimated that more than 500 million straws are used and discarded every day in the United States, many of which end up in landfills and waterways. Skipping a straw is a small and easy step that can have a ripple effect – we hope this campaign continues to catch on and change the way we think about waste and its impact on the environment.”

Using Earth Day (April 22) as a launch date, Delaware North hopes to sustain The Last Straw campaign and cut down on the estimated 8.1 million plastic drinking straws the company served in drinks to guests at airport dining locations in 2017. While the initiative is being adopted first by Delaware North’s travel subsidiary, it is expected to spread to the company’s other operating subsidiaries as part of its proprietary environmental stewardship program, GreenPath.

“As a company with a global footprint, it’s important that we take steps to minimize our impact on the environment,” said Kevin Kelly, president of Delaware North’s travel business. “Plastic waste is being addressed at many levels, including with legislation in several states and municipalities, so we want to be part of that movement and find solutions in our operations to help cut back on waste and improve our environment.”

Through GreenPath, Delaware North ensures careful management of its environmental impact by setting strict guidelines for energy and water consumption, waste management and other standards at its 200-plus operating locations around world, which includes sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, destination resorts and restaurants, airports, and regional casinos. Since its inception in the early 1990s, GreenPath has won dozens of awards from the likes of NASA, the National Park Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Travel Association.