Following a trend of hotels looking to cut waste and increase sustainability, the Hilton Waikoloa Village has announced it will no longer offer plastic straws at the resort.
Dubbed the "Last Straw" campaign, Hilton Waikoloa has eliminated plastic straws from bars, restaurants, venues and vendors. In 2017, the resort on Hawaii Island used more than 800,000 straws while serving more than 1 million guests. Plastic straws cannot be recycled and are one of the more common marine debris found in Hawaii, according to a statement from Hilton Waikoloa Village.
"Over the years, concerned guests have notified us of the impact that plastic straws have on our environment." Simon Amos, hotel manager said in the statement.
Plastics straw were eliminated from the property on Jan. 31, and the resort will now offer compostable paper straws upon request.
The Hawaii legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit the distribution, sale and provision of plastic straws during the 2018 session.