Join our Campaign to Keep Plastic Out of the Chesapeake Bay
Launched during the 2018 Annapolis Restaurant Week, February 25-March 3

Annapolis Green is joining an international movement to change habits and eliminate plastic straws!

Plastic Straws are one of the top items found in shoreline clean ups all over the world.
Over 500 MILLION plastic straws are used in the United States EVERY DAY.
ONE BILLION are used worldwide. Every Day.

It may seem like a small thing – but the small things add up. Plastic is choking our waterways and water is truly the lifeblood of our existence.

Our ongoing goal is to advocate and see a reduction of single use plastics in our community. Straws are just a start. Plastic stirrers and the ubiquitous plastic water bottle also do harm to our Bay and oceans.

We launched our campaign during the 2018 Annapolis Restaurant Week and it was a great success. But the campaign continues and, there are many ways you can join in. Annapolis Green is uniting with other organizations and communities around the world to draw attention to the excessive and unnecessary use of plastic straws. We are also taking it a step further in acknowledging that in some instances straws are needed. In that case we encourage people to #SipResponsibly with a biodegradable paper straw.

The "Don’t Suck. #SipResponsibly" Campaign: Restaurants & Patrons

We are reaching out to restaurants to do their part by not automatically serving the plastic straw. We’re asking them to retrain staff to offer paper straws “Upon Request.”

And, thanks to our partnership with Leonard Paper and its initial donation of made in USA Aardvark paper straws we can supply several restaurants so they can provide straws when there is a need. Aardvark invented the paper straw in 1888 and brought back a new and improved version a few years ago.

We are developing posters and tent cards for restaurants and will offer to provide staff training as well.

And for restaurant patrons… we need you to say “NO to the Plastic Straw!” We will promote the campaign and educate our community to get everybody onboard. We’re developing handouts to further engage and a card that can be taken to your favorite restaurant or watering hole to get them involved.

How You Can Help

Sponsor Don’t Suck. #SipResponsibly

The more funds we raise for the campaign, the better our outreach, promotion and resources we can provide to restaurants. Plus we want this to be an ongoing campaign so that using a plastic straw is considered to be not acceptable. Annapolis Green is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; donations are tax deductible.

$1,000

• Will recognize you as a founding supporter of “Don’t Suck. #SipResponsibly” during the Restaurant Week campaign and in the future, as the campaign continues.
• We will feature your sponsorship on Annapolis Green’s:
• #SipResponsibly website page
• Media notifications
• Promotional Posters
• Social Media
• Training Materials, when applicable

$500

• We will feature your sponsorship on Annapolis Green’s #SipResponsibly website page during the Restaurant Week campaign

Sponsor Your Favorite Restaurant

$200

• We will supply your selected, willing restaurant:
• A limited number of paper straws during Restaurant Week so plastic ones are not used
• Promotional Posters
• Table Tents explaining the program to patrons
• Training Materials for staff

Be a Volunteer Restaurant Liaison

Let us know you’d like to help by reaching out to specific restaurant and bar owners. Start the conversation at your favorite watering hole. We’ll equip you with information and product samples.

Buy Your Own Paper Straws

You can skip the plastic straw at home with our online partner Live Green! When you join Live Green you’ll be able to shop for Aardvark straws and thousands of other items at a discount and with a portion of your purchase benefiting Annapolis Green. Find out more here.

Spread the Word

Social Media – We are producing sharable Facebook, Twitter and Instagram messages you can share on your own networks to get the word out about how single-use plastics such as straws are a thing of the past.

Tell your own stories on social media, especially with photos. Have you been to a place where there is plastic litter? Take a photo, write about how this is not acceptable and reference our campaign in your own way. When you see somebody saying NO to the plastic straw, take a photo and post it! Give them credit for sipping responsibly.

It's easy. Have a look at how our friend Lori Hill of Sister Eden Media sees it:

Lori Hill is a plant eater, trash picker upper, climate activist, speaker, YouTube personality,
wife, and mom to 2 human boys, 2 cat boys, and 1 dog boy. On a mission to do all she
can to take better care of the planet, Lori created Sister Eden Media, a green
lifestyle company, to inspire others to give a damn and live more mindfully on Earth.
She shares tips on her web site, YouTube channel, Facebook, Twitter,
and Instagram and also frequently appears on television.

Lisa Spallitta's view of the problem, as presented at Ignite Annapolis in February 2018 and at the February Green Drinks Annapolis.
Of course, she had a lot to say as these images ran, but the images alone say a lot too.

Thank you for this being a part of our campaign!

Let’s show the world that Annapolis Doesn’t Suck!

Annapolis Campaign Sponsors & Supporting Organizations

             
Special Thank Yous:
To passionate plastic straw detester Margaret Morrell for her support, help and inspiration
To Edward Vesely, DMD, and his wife, Angela Miele, DMD, for their enthusiastic support

Thank you to Master Watershed Steward Brad Knopf for his cartoon!

Bay Weekly Story: The Last Straw

We're not alone.

Among many jurisdictions that have or will soon ban plastic straws entirely are Seattle; Ft. Myers Beach, Fla., Monterey, Ca., Scotland; Queen Elizabeth's royal estates; parts of Australia; Taiwan; South Africa; and Kenya.

How skipping a plastic straw can help save the planet

McDonald's has announced it's banning plastic straws from its U.K. restaurants.
Paper straws will be available instead, and only on request.

Ditch the Straws in Ocean City This Summer, Environmental Group Says

The Last Straw

Strawless in Seattle

Monterey joins the movement against plastic straws

Queen bans plastic straws and bottles on royal estates after David Attenborough documentary

Fighting pollution by saying 'no' to plastic straws

Plastic straws could be banned, suggests Michael Gove

Bans on Plastic Straws in Restaurants Expand to More Cities

Malibu bans restaurants from giving out plastic straws, stirrers and utensils

Scotland plans to ban plastic straws by end of 2019

We suck at recycling straws—so maybe we should ban them

Plastic straws illegal unless requested under California bill — with up to a $1,000 fine attached

Taiwan to ban plastic straws, cups by 2030

With plastic straw ban in effect, visitors at Fort Myers Beach quickly adapt

Australian Venues Are Phasing Out Plastic Straws