Marriott hotels eliminating plastic straws by 2019

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, AP Business Writer

DETROIT (AP) — Marriott International says it's removing plastic straws and drink stirrers from all of its 6,500 hotels and resorts worldwide by next year.

The world's largest hotel company says the move will eliminate approximately 1 billion straws and 250 million stirrers by July 2019.

Marriott says the year-long timeframe will let hotels deplete their existing supplies and identify alternatives to plastic straws. Customers will be given alternatives upon request.

Marriott is the latest big company to announce it's ditching plastic straws. Starbucks and American Airlines announced plans to eliminate plastic straws last week.

Hilton Hotels and Hyatt Hotels Corp. have also said they plan to eliminate plastic straws at their properties by the end of this year.