With the ban on plastic announced by the State government scheduled to come into force from January 1 of next year, commercial establishments have been taking efforts to switch to eco-friendly alternatives.
Taking their first step towards a plastic-free environment, SPI Cinemas, popularly known as Sathyam Cinemas, has done away with plastic straws in all their outlets. Starting October 2, the cinema chain has stopped serving straws with beverages and gives them only upon customer request.
“Studies estimate that eight million tonnes of plastic flow into the oceans each year. One of the many contributors to this pollution is plastic straws. Sathyam Cinemas, for long, had been planning to go plastic-free and the #NoMoreStraw campaign is the first step towards a greener tomorrow. We can achieve this only with our customers’ cooperation,” says Bhavesh Shah, Sathyam’s Head of Experience.
For customer insisting on straws, they will be provided with paper straws instead of plastic ones. However, it is not a permanent solution, as we don’t want to replace but remove any products that might prove harmful to the environment. “Replacing plastic straws with paper straws means more trees will be cut. Our aim is to completely do away with non-biodegradable packaging of all our products. If we have to eliminate straws entirely, then the paper cups need to be sturdy so customers can drink their beverages straight out of them. We hope to work out a solution soon,” he says.
The straws and cups served at Sathyam Cinemas are made from polylactic acid (PLA), a plant-based plastic (such as cornstarch or potato starch), believed to be eco-friendly and compostable. For SPI though the responsibility does not end there. The company is also in talks with a Delhi-based firm that offers compostable packaging and zero waste solutions to build a composting facility here in Chennai.
“Switching to eco-friendly alternatives alone does not create a trash-free environment. The waste needs to be composted. The quantum of waste generated in our multiplexes is huge. As part of our ‘Responsible Cinema’ initiative, we are trying to build our composing facility and minimise the amount of waste going to landfills,” Bhavesh says.
