Disney to eliminate plastic straws from owned theme parks

I was pointing out that the plastic straw decision way oversimplifies brexit. Even saying “the EU micromanaged” in more than one sentence oversimplifies brexit.

I like the idea of having open boarders with our close neighbors though.

Leaving the EU isn't net good for anyone. There are about a hundred reasons for that, and none of them have anything to do with straws.

We haven't been to WDW in almost 10 years (this February). We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge and even back then they didn't allow plastic straws because of the animals right outside your room. They had the cardboard-y/paper ones instead.

It was the most annoying thing about the entire weeklong trip.

You're supposed to say the buses to Magic Kingdom are most annoying, but I know, you get a car.

Lord Gonchar said:

It was the most annoying thing about the entire weeklong trip.

Sounds like you had a great trip then.

I mean, he got a car.

And a Grumpy shirt.

99er said:

Sounds like you had a great trip then.

I suppose that depends how far down the annoyance scale paper straws are to you.

I've got to think straw manufacturers are or soon will be working on paper-based straws that will hold up a bit better than the ones we used in the olden days. The AK lodge probably isn't enough volume to motivate that, but all of WDW (not to mention all of Starbucks) might be. Straw technology is surely in for a major leap forward.

(At Cedar Point, they didn't have a lid for my cup. Which was annoying, but not nearly the most annoying thing about the weekend, and if it was done to reduce the amount of plastic garbage I can be down with that.)

Paper straw industry is doing very well right now:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-05/the-fight-for-pa...-york-bars

https://www.inc.com/emily-canal/plastic-straw-ban-paper-straw-company.html

Some paper straws are made in China. Maybe we will put tariffs on them?

They need to put tariffs on the Chinese paper straws, have to help out the domestic plastic straw industry.

At that rate, the straws will cost more than the drinks, and no one will have straws. Thanks, Obama! Er, wait...

According to this article, there is only one paper straw manufacturer in the US. It recently was acquired but looks like by another US entity. Someone is cited as saying the US maker straws will continue to have the same composition unlike the "cheap imports that get soggy and disintegrate."

http://fortune.com/2018/08/07/aardvark-paper-straw-maker-acquisition-hoffmaster/

Ha! Just last night we were sitting at the bar in one of our favorite restaurants and watched the bartender fill all of the containers with multiple sizes, lengths, and colors of plastic straws. I turned to Jim and said “I know, we should go into the paper straw business, make a quick fortune, then get out.” Looks like I might be right. We’ll contract with Disney, Six Flags, and Cedar Fair.
Done!

Jeff said:

Leaving the EU isn't net good for anyone. There are about a hundred reasons for that, and none of them have anything to do with straws.

It depends what happens when we leave, no one knows what that looks like yet. Arguably, if the UK gets a deal that works for us and the EU have the opportunity to pursue the federalist European dream without us holding them back, everyone wins.