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Customers will have to ask for plastic straws at Red Lobster

Change will start in November
Customers will have to ask for plastic straws at Red Lobster
Posted at 2:35 PM, Oct 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-02 14:35:11-04

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Red Lobster says it will no longer automatically give out plastic straws to customers.

The company said in a statement Tuesday that patrons will have to ask for a straw if they want one starting next month.

Red Lobster also said that by the end of 2020 it will start replacing plastic straws with an eco-friendly alternative.

The seafood-restaurant chain estimates that the change will eliminate 150 million plastic straws per year from its more than 700 restaurants.

Red Lobster says it is currently testing eco-friendly straw alternatives.

Red Lobster CEO Kim Lopdrup says the new policy is a meaningful step in the company's commitment to preserving the world's oceans and marine life.