Nancy O's restaurant, as well as its sister restaurant Betulla Burning, has joined a growing number of downtown independent restaurants in phasing out plastic straws in order to reduce plastic waste.
The restaurant announced Tuesday on Facebook it would be phasing out single-use straws. The move follows the lead of Cimo Mediterranean Grill, which has taken steps to replace plastic straws with a compostable paper equivalent.
Other downtown restaurants, including Kask and CrossRoads Brewing, have also implemented similar phase-outs, while chain restaurants, such as White Spot and Moxie's, have begun providing single-use straws only on an as-requested basis.
Nancy O's will continue to offer plastic straws only on an as-requested basis, but will be looking into a compostable option once its supplies are depleted.
"We've had an amazing amount of feedback," said co-owner Garrett Fedorkiw of the online posting.
Fedorkiw credited Cimo Mediterranean Grill for sparking a conversation amongst staff. Cimo's restaurant Manager Danielle Beeksma, who studied forest ecology at UNBC, initially attempted to introduce a commercially compostable straw. But logistical complications of separating these straws from other waste, as well as the lack of facilities in B.C.'s north able to accept the straws, led Beeksma to introduce a policy of offering them only upon request. Beeksma told The Citizen in April that Cimo is looking into a line of paper-based compostable straws.
The idea has since been discussed, along with other methods of reducing waste, at restaurants throughout Prince George's downtown. For Fedorkiw, the idea was a natural fit for the culture of Nancy O's.
"I think the staff that we attract to work at Nancy O's are the people that are more environmentally friendly," Fedorkiw said.
"A lot of people follow a vegan diet that work with us. They are more connected to the local food scene."
Kask restaurant started phasing out straws last fall. Because the restaurant has reduced its usage by only offering straws upon request, owner Ross Birchall said they have still not depleted their supply. The restaurant is looking into a paper-based compostable straw, which could be disposed of locally, once they are rid of plastic supplies.
Birchall said the straw phase-outs are part of an overall move by younger restaurant owners in the downtown to reduce their environmental footprint. Kask and Cimo, for example, provide take-out in 100 per cent biodegradable containers, and attempt to source food as locally as possible.
Birchall thinks that ecological costs and benefits are now being factored into decisions by both restaurant patrons and owners.
"You look at the Copper Pig with their farm to fork, Betulla doing their own charcuterie in-house, Nancy O's sourcing things from local farms. We get all our stuff from B.C., we're focusing on Rossdown Farms and local places that contribute to our local economy," he said. "I think we really look at that kind of stuff and go, 'You know what? The consumer, the end user will be OK with paying an extra 50 cents for something if they know that this was all done in B.C."'
The issue of plastic waste recently gained international attention after U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May announced plans to ban the manufacture of single-use plastic straws during the Commonwealth leaders' summit in April. May said the ban would be part of efforts to protect the world's oceans from the harm of plastic waste. The U.K. government would work with industry to phase out plastic.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau endorsed public declarations calling for ocean protection, but stopped short of committing to a similar ban in Canada.
The federal government has adopted legislation to ban plastic microbeads in bath and body products, which is due to be implemented nationally in July.
