Best Bar None Glasgow Backs Pupils' #NaeStrawAtAw Campaign

Published: 21 January 2018

Best Bar None Glasgow is urging almost 100 city pubs, clubs and licensed premises to ditch plastic straws after joining a campaign by primary school pupils.

Youngsters from Sunnyside Primary School are lobbying businesses as part of their #NaeStrawAtAw campaign. They aim to protect marine mammals from toxic plastic waste which can be washed into the oceans via rivers and end up in the food chain.

Already they've helped peers in Ullapool convince the entire Wester Ross village to go plastic straw free and are also attracting support from restaurants and takeaways with their presentations about biodegradable alternatives.

Eleanor Lee of Community Safety Glasgow which runs Best Bar None (BBN) Glasgow was so inspired by #NaeStrawAtAw, that it's being adopted into the city's annual Best Bar None awards.

Eleanor said: "We were very impressed by Sunnyside Primary School's campaign and keen to support them.

"As a result, this year's BBN Glasgow awards will recognise premises which take steps to reduce plastic straw usage.

"We know some of our members share the pupils' concerns and are already taking action and I'm sure more licensees will be keen to come on board. This could have a huge impact on the number of straws getting into water courses and threatening marine life."

Staff at The Dram bar in Woodlands Road also praised the pupils' campaign.

The BBN Glasgow member already discourages customers from using plastic straws for environmental reasons as well as donating its coffee grinds to local community gardens and using eco-friendly takeaway boxes and recycled napkins.

Erin McGeough, General Manager, The Dram said: "The Sunnyside Primary campaign is absolutely amazing. It's great that young people are getting involved in such a big way and helping to change attitudes.

"We have a very strict policy on straws. We deliberately don't offer them and if customers request one, we ask them to reuse it for each subsequent drink that visit.

"The reaction from our regular customers has been overwhelmingly supportive. They totally understand the reasons why we've gone down that road.

"We estimate that we've saved over 1000 plastic straws a week from going to landfill."

The Garage and The Pot Still in Glasgow - BBN Glasgow members - also pledged to stop using plastic straws and it is hoped many more licensed premises join the campaign.

Follow #NaeStrawAtAw on twitter to find out more about the pupils' work.