As we embark upon the six-month anniversary of Our Last Straw, the non-profit launched last summer by our very own Dan Simons and Farmers Restaurant Group to champion eliminating single-use plastic straws in the DC restaurant and hospitality industry, we wanted to take a look at how far Our Last Straw has come.

It all started with one goal in mind: “Public awareness,” Dan has said. “That’s what we’re committing to our coalition members… to help educate the general public so they’ll be supportive. ‘Yeah, I don’t need a straw. Hold the straw.’ That way, the cost becomes immaterial.”

And in the past six months, Dan, the coalition members (made up of DC area restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, and event venues), and the entire Our Last Straw team has stayed true to their goal. Through environmental education, outreach programs, and sheer, old-fashioned grit, huge strides have been made in the DC metropolitan area to eliminate single-use plastic straws.

As of today: approximately 150 restaurants, NGOs, and government partners across the DC area have committed to #StopSucking.

The partnerships we’ve formed with local government agencies, such as the DC Mayor’s Office and the DC Department of Energy & Environment, as well as NGOs like The Alice Ferguson Foundation and the Ocean Conservancy are leading the cause for change. And local businesses like Founding Farmers, CAVA, Fig & Olive, Matchbox, and more, have committed to not distributing single-use plastic straws in their restaurants.

We are seeing progress here in DC, and we are buoyed by the retail and industry players across the U.S. and the globe who are also championing this same cause from the likes of Starbucks, SeaWorld, Ikea, and Royal Caribbean, all the way to The European Parliament, who has successfully voted for a complete ban on a range of single-use plastics across the union in a bid to stop pollution of the oceans.

Six months later, we are committed to our DC industry coalition, our progress, and Our Last Straw.

We’ve made the pledge to #StopSucking. Have you?

Take Action. Donate. Make the Pledge. Help promote change, once straw at a time.

We invite you to track our progress and follow Our Last Straw on Facebook and Twitter.