The general manager of the Los Angeles Convention Center said Tuesday that the facility’s new ban on plastic straws is part of an environmental outlook that “permeates every aspect” of the facility’s operations.
The ban was announced Friday at the National League of Cities summit, which took place at the LACC.
In partnership with in-house caterer Taste of LA by Levy Restaurants, the LACC said it will cease the use of 250,000 plastic straws annually, and that paper straws will be used only for blended coffee beverages until other solutions are accessible. Paper straws will also be available for those with ADA requirements.
“One of the best ways to reduce our carbon footprint is by removing waste wherever possible,” said Matthew Brown, general manager of Taste of LA by Levy at the LACC. “Our goal has been to function 100 percent straw-free. One year ago, we eliminated straws from catering, which serves as 80 percent of our business; removing straws from our cafes and kiosks was the last piece of the puzzle.”
All Los Angeles restaurants would be banned from giving customers plastic straws by 2021 under a proposal backed recently by a City Council committee, and a bill recently signed by Gov. Jerry Brown will ban full-service restaurants from automatically giving customers plastic straws beginning Jan. 1.
A Los Angeles Times editorial that said Americans throw away 500 million plastic straws each day, contributing heavily to pollution in the oceans.
“Environmental sustainability is embedded in the LACC’s culture and permeates every aspect of our day-to-day operations,” said Ellen Schwartz, general manager of the LACC. “It is exciting to continually launch new initiatives at events like NLC City Summit that impact communities all over the country.”
The LACC said it has recently implemented additional sustainability initiatives, including an upgrade in August to water and energy efficient dishwashers, which it said is saving an estimated 1.3 million gallons of water annually, and a project started last month to replace 330 faucets in guest restrooms, which it said will save approximately 415,000 gallons of water annually.
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