Plastic Free Disney





UNDER THE SEA, in thousands of landfill sites, and across hundreds of natural beauty spots the single use plastic is piling up rapidly, however big brands and businesses are starting to make a stand in a bid to reduce the damage we are doing to our environment.

In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint and help slow down climate change, Disney has recently announced several steps it will be taking to reduce the use of single use plastic, including the installation of permanent, refillable shampoo and shower gel dispensers within guests’ bedrooms.

Although visitors to the Resorts will no longer be able to treat themselves to the shampoo bottles with Mickey ears, Disney has stated that this particular step will reduce plastic waste in guests’ bedrooms by 80%.

Furthermore, as of 18th Aril 2019, the magical theme park, Disneyland Paris, has stopped the provision of plastic straws and stirrers to customers replacing them with instead with biodegradable and more eco-friendly paper straws. A step that was also recently adopted by McDonalds outlets in the UK.

With almost 15 million visitors per year singing their way down Main Street in the French Theme Park, there is an enormous amount of waste generated annually. The replacement of single use plastic stirrers and straws with a more environmentally friendly option will result in the reduction of more than 175 million straws and 13 million stirrers annually.

Following in the footsteps of many other shops, brands and countries, Disneyland Paris will also soon stop providing free plastic carrier bags, instead offering guests the opportunity to buy a reusable bag at a small price.

As one of the best-known global brands, Disney states, that along with eliminating the use of straws, stirrers and plastic bags they will also aim to “eliminate polystyrene cups across our global owned and operated business. These steps are part of our long-term effort to reduce single-use plastics, and we will continue recycling and responsibly disposing of single-use waste that cannot be eliminated."

Referring to the steps that Disney are taking, Dr Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International said, that Disney are doing much more than simply reducing the use of the plastics. As a well-known and highly influential brand, Disney are using their platform to teach others by "showing millions of kids and adults from around the world the many ways we can change our daily habits to care for the oceans and protect nature that sustains us all."

It’s a small world after all, and it is up to us all to protect it.