In An Effort To Conserve, Vivint Quits Plastic Straws

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz have played seven games in Vivint SmartHome Arena so far this season. If you’ve attended a game you may have noticed something different when you ordered your game time beverage – there is no straw, instead, it’s a sippable lid.

At the beginning of this basketball season, Vivint SmartHome Arena stopped giving out plastic straws in an effort to reduce plastic waste.

“We worked with our beverage partner Swire Coca-Cola to create an environmental-friendly alternative to straws. Soda cups now have new lids with only a ‘sipping’ opening to use in place of a straw,” said Vice President Of Communications Frank Zang.

Have you been to a Jazz game or other event at Vivint this season? Did you order anything to drink? Did they provide plastic straws? Let me know, including the date you went!

— Madisan Hinkhouse (@madihinkhouse94) November 14, 2019

It is estimated that in the United States alone 500 million plastic straws are used every day but major companies like Starbucks and, now, Vivint are attempting to reduce that number.

While straws only make up .025 percent of the plastic pollution taking over the world’s oceans, it’s a simple thing for people to give up.

In addition to transitioning away from plastic straws, the arena switched to bio-degradable, compostable cups.

#LeadTogether https://t.co/zcjgoNACUl

— Utah Jazz Doing Good (@JazzDoingGood) October 25, 2019

“These changes are part of a larger sustainability plan we are developing that focuses on providing food, beverage and service wares in a safer and more responsible manner,” Zang said.

According to Zang, a bio-degradable plastic straw is still available upon request at all food and beverage locations throughout the arena.

“Our staff will happily accommodate any requests for a straw as we understand the preferences of our guests or requirements for medical purposes,” said Zang.