Bristol club PRYZM stops giving out straws with drinks

Following PRYZM's announcement to ban plastic straws, Epigram investigates whether other Bristol clubs are joining the movement.

Bristol club PRYZM, part of a nationwide chain of clubs, is joining the movement for eco-change by banning plastic straws.

PRYZM have decided to instead offer a biodegradable alternative instead for cocktails, mixers and soft drinks, reducing the environmental impact of its plastic consumption.

Adin Memetovic, the club’s general manager said: ‘We’re all about serving up a great night out, but from 19th February the only straws we’ll offer to customers will be made from renewable plant sources. They’ll biodegrade in six months rather than hundreds of years so they won’t add to the planet’s pollution problems.’

We’ve decided plastic straws suck!
To help the environment we won’t automatically offer a straw in our venues, but if you would like one we’ve got turtle friendly straws that biodegrade in 6 months. #nostrawsattached pic.twitter.com/HYrMO2pTMG

— PRYZM Bristol (@PRYZMBristol) February 27, 2018

‘Our customers and colleagues are more environmentally aware so I’m sure they’ll welcome the change and agree that plastic sucks!’

Straws will no longer be served routinely in drinks, but if a customer asks for one, biodegradable straws will be provided.

PRYZM is part of The Deltic Group, the UK’s largest operator for late night bars and clubs, running 57 venues and employing 3000 people.

It is introducing the ban as part of a wider commitment to be a more eco-friendly and sustainable operation.

In making this move, it is illustrating its support for the concerns within the hospitality industry about the pollution caused by plastic straws which end up in the sea and in landfill sites.

To better spread the message on its social media, the club has joined the hashtag #nostrawsattached.

#TuesdayThoughts @deespeak @Mallikaarya30 @aliaa08 @AfrozShah1 #choosetorefuse #PlasticPollution #nostrawsattached #strawssuck #reuse pic.twitter.com/nN4lbpQgkx

— No Straws Attached (@nostrawattached) January 23, 2018

Following this news, Epigram contacted other clubs within Bristol, to find out their stance on this issue. The popular club, Basement 45 responded.

‘It’s something we are looking into. We have used paper straws on our drinks tasting courses, and we soon hope to replace all our plastic straws. We have also tried having no straws although some customers specifically ask for them.’

The movement seems to be catching on. Nightclubs are beginning to recognise both their own responsibility towards the environment and also their ability to take steps towards a solution.

It is hoped that the introduction of biodegradable straws, as well as an increasing awareness amongst consumers about the impact of asking for straws in clubs, will lead to a reduction in their overall use.

Featured image credit: Unsplash / Sippanont Samchai