Starbucks, McDonald’s, Marriott, Washington, DC, Seattle, Miami Beach and Fort Myers are phasing out plastic straws. Many of those go into landfills, waterways and oceans and harm habitat and marine life. Global momentum has built in recent months to ban plastic straws and replace them with biodegradable paper ones. Takoma Park should join dozens of other cities in banning restaurants giving out plastic straws including Seattle, Miami Beach, Fort Meyers and others. We call on the City Council of Takoma Park to ban giving out plastic straws in restaurants, coffee shops and cafeterias in the city limits.