New Straw Offerings From John Heald

[havanadaydreaming]

2 hours ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

I believe the issue with straws is the trash separation equipment, which is somewhat automated.  The straws are too small for the system to separate out, so they end up in the land fill -- or in Cruise lines case, perhaps they end up where they shouldn't.  This is not a Carnival and Ocean specific issue... California uses land fills, but has a requirement to separate their trash and recycle.  Dine-in establishments are not allowed to provide plastic straws without the customer asking for them. 

California has also enacted legislation imposing a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags at large retail stores.

When we stay at downtown chicago hotel we are asked at stores if we want plastic bag, which are taxed if used. 

 

I have no problem reducing plastics, especially near major bodies of water

[Cruisegirl6]

Who the heck is going to carry those straws around with them!

[Jim and Monika]

13 minutes ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

Who the heck is going to carry those straws around with them!

Much easier than carrying around Diet Coke

[LakeWobegon]

Yes, harder to stop the straws being disposed of in the trash than water bottles. Carnival doesn't want to be in the news again for having plastic mixed into food waste that goes into the ocean. Recycling is good but someone wise once told me "trying to save the environment by recycling, even if everyone recycled nearly everything, is like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon." Plastic water bottles are made with less plastic than ever before which is why the water goes all over you if you squeeze the bottle too hard. I've been many places where they have water in the milk carton style containers. That's a great idea, IF, you can easily recycle those containers. But sometimes not all appears as it is. Like when people were in outrage when McDonalds used sytrofoam containers and demanded they switch to paper wrappers. Turns out that styrofoam could be recycled. Those new wax paper wrappers can't be.

[aknguyen]

I've been using an insulated metal tumbler with a silicone-tipped steel straw for several years now. I like to have a nice cold drink with me at all times; sometimes it's water, sometimes it's tea, sometimes it's an adult beverage. For me, cleaning it really isn't that big of a deal. I took it on my last cruise and didn't find it a burden... I did wash it in the cabin's bathroom sink. I don't understand how it's any more disgusting that using the water from the sink to rinse your mouth after brushing. I don't fill the sink and dunk the cup and straw. Instead, I put a bit of soap into it and use a washcloth and the tiny brush that came with the straw. Swirl and then rinse. It doesn't touch any surface in the bathroom.

 

I also have a set of silicone straws that fold up into a plastic holder similar to the Carnival one. Again, I don't find it to be a burden. If possible, I rinse it out before putting it back into the holder. If not, no big deal. That's what soap is for when I get to a sink. The little holder lives in my purse. It's small enough to keep in a wristlet or small cross-body purse so it's very mobile.

 

I guess my point is that for the most part it isn't a huge, life-altering thing to carry a reusable straw on a cruise or otherwise. Is it as convenient as disposable plastic? Of course not. However, I can still have a straw with minimal effort on my part. The same goes for the reusable tote bags that have replaced the single use bags as well as reusable utensils that replace the single use utensils that I use for lunch. It took a few days of adjustment and now it's not a big deal to me.

[Jerseygirl1416]

I find it a little hypocritical because if this was really about a true campaign to get rid of single use plastic Carnival should’ve  addressed the plastic water bottles they sell by now. That said, I’m not dragging around straws from anywhere on my vacation. I’ll take the paper or the sugar or whatever they offer with the drink and make due.

[rukkian]

32 minutes ago, Jerseygirl1416 said:

I find it a little hypocritical because if this was really about a true campaign to get rid of single use plastic Carnival should’ve  addressed the plastic water bottles they sell by now. That said, I’m not dragging around straws from anywhere on my vacation. I’ll take the paper or the sugar or whatever they offer with the drink and make due.

Pretty sure those are next.  Most cruise lines have plans to completely get rid of single use plastics, but it is not an overnight thing.  

[Jerseygirl1416]

11 minutes ago, rukkian said:

Pretty sure those are next.  Most cruise lines have plans to completely get rid of single use plastics, but it is not an overnight thing.  

Obviously but the conversation about the need to get rid single use plastic has been going on for years. They’ve had a long time already to get it done.

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, Jerseygirl1416 said:

Obviously but the conversation about the need to get rid single use plastic has been going on for years. They’ve had a long time already to get it done.

Not sure which discussion you mean, but the one to clean it all up, maybe 2 years.  Late better than never

[Jerseygirl1416]

6 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Not sure which discussion you mean, but the one to clean it all up, maybe 2 years.  Late better than never

Well unfortunately the single use water bottles Carnival sells is still in the never stage

[jimbo5544]

40 minutes ago, Jerseygirl1416 said:

Well unfortunately the single use water bottles Carnival sells is still in the never stage

It certainly s at top of the post, but the most complicated in terms of how to mitigate.  Look for phased rollout of a solution for mid 2020.  

[cruisingguy007]

50 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

It certainly s at top of the post, but the most complicated in terms of how to mitigate.  Look for phased rollout of a solution for mid 2020.  

 

Not really, Tetra Pak style packaging has been out for a long time now and while the recycling options are limited (it must be broken down into components), a company the size of Carnival could find a solution that would facilitate that and a company to fill them. Then there is the good old standby that is the most sustainable and nearly 100% recyclable without loss or degradation, that is glass. Glass has been around forever and glass always been the best solution. The downside is the weight but just like plastic bottles, glass tech has improved and bottles use much less materiel than in decades past. Bottles are about half their weight vs just a decade ago. 

 

If it were "all about the environment", glass would be used despite the higher weight and shipping costs. It's also great for ships particularly because it has a much lower impact when ground up and dumped at sea. This is still perfectly legal in many locations around the world, including the Caribbean. A lot of places simply don't have the capacity, many not even the inclination, to build recycling/disposal facilities. At least the refuse is being ground up now but using as much glass as possible would be the best environmental decision for both recycling and disposal. If it is recycled, great! If it is dumped, still not too bad! Win-win.

Edited December 9, 2019 by cruisingguy007

[rukkian]

2 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

Not really, Tetra Pak style packaging has been out for a long time now and while the recycling options are limited (it must be broken down into components), a company the size of Carnival could find a solution that would facilitate that and a company to fill them. Then there is the good old standby that is the most sustainable and nearly 100% recyclable without loss or degradation, that is glass. Glass has been around forever and gas always been the best solution. The downside is the weight but just like plastic bottles, glass tech has improved and bottles use much less materiel than in decades past. Bottles are about half their weight vs just a decade ago. 

 

If it were "all about the environment", glass would be used despite the higher weight and shipping costs. It's also great for ships particularly because it has a much lower impact when ground up and dumped at sea. This is still perfectly legal in many locations around the world, including the Caribbean. A lot of places simply don't have the capacity, many not even the inclination, to build recycling/disposal facilities. At least the refuse is being ground up now but using as much glass as possible would be the best environmental decision for both recycling and disposal. If it is recycled, great! If it is dumped, still not too bad! Win-win.

While there are great uses for glass bottles, that is a big issue in places were many people go barefoot (around the pool for instance).  Most places ban all glass bottles around any pool for that reason.  

[cruisingguy007]

14 minutes ago, rukkian said:

While there are great uses for glass bottles, that is a big issue in places were many people go barefoot (around the pool for instance).  Most places ban all glass bottles around any pool for that reason.  

 

Easy solution to that. Have reusable/washable aluminum, recyclable plastic, or even paper cups (many vendors will provide them free for marketing exposure if they can plaster their logo on the side) to pour the water/drinks into when on deck or swimming areas. Every other place (even large places like Vegas) deal with the same issues. It's not a unique issue to cruise ships. They can even use a larger version of the cups in the lido buffet, completely rewashable and reusable. Paper cups can easily be ground and incinerated on board. Where there is a will, there is a way. 

Edited December 9, 2019 by cruisingguy007

[rukkian]

Just now, cruisingguy007 said:

 

Easy solution to that. Have reusable/washable aluminum, recyclable plastic, or even paper cups (many vendors will provide them free for marketing exposure if they can plaster their logo on the side) to pour the water/drinks into when on deck or swimming areas. Every other place (even large places like Vegas) deal with the same issues. It's not a unique issue to cruise ships. They can even use a larger version of the cups in the lido buffet, completely rewashable and reusable. Paper cups can easily be ground and incinerated on board. Where there is a will there is a way. 

I was not claiming there are not options, just that glass is not the answer due to the nature of cruising (at least in warm weather areas).  I agree there are plenty of options, and I am sure something will come out to replace the bottled water.

[jimbo5544]

Glass is out, it's not viable for so many reasons.  Let me restate a more clear version of my post.  Carnival is working on sensible options to replace single use plastic water bottles.  Posters can believe it or not, bash them or not, but that is the facts.  

[coevan]

no glass bottles or glasses on the beach, pool or boat. 

[jimbo5544]

4 minutes ago, coevan said:

no glass bottles or glasses on the beach, pool or boat. 

And they certainly are not recycling aluminum cans for water

[desiree741]

The candy straws they are using now are gross. It was slimy and didn’t taste good in my mango daiquiri. I will look into a silicone one next time. Not a fan of metal being in my mouth.