Westport is First Town in Ireland to Ban Plastic Straws

Westport is making a move to cut all plastic straws, making them the first town in Ireland to do so. Local pubs are already on board with the plan, which is a part of Westport’s entry into the 2018 national Tidy Towns Competition.

The Mayo town has won the Tidy Towns competition for three years in a row and are aiming to keep that streak going. Westport has already received a commitment from all local pubs to only use biodegradable straws, starting from 1 June.

The idea of getting rid of the plastic straws comes from the transition year students on the Junior Tidy Towns committee. Rhona Chambers, a member of the committee, is hoping that local coffee shops and supermarkets will jump on the trend and also replace plastic straws for eco-friendlier alternatives.

“We are a coastal town and want to preserve the wildlife and nature in Westport, so getting rid of plastic straws helps us to do that,” Chambers said.

Westport is working hard with a line of sustainability initiatives, including allowing customers to leave plastic packaging in-store post-shopping in Kavanagh’s SuperValu.

Hopefully, other towns around our green island can get inspired by Westport and make an eco-move as well!

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By Elsa Anderling