Sudbury girl pushes to ban straws in restaurants and bars

A 10-year-old Sudbury girl is making it her mission to get everyone to really think about whether they need to use a drinking straw.

Sophia Mathur wants restaurants and bars to reconsider how they hand out drinking straws. She says she's been speaking to owners about how straws pollute the oceans, crowd landfills and waste resources.

"I know that straws are really not good for the environment," Mathur said.

Mathur is part of a global movement called The Last Plastic Straw, a project that started in the U.S., to stop plastic pollution.

Mathur says after speaking with the owner of Eddie's in Sudbury, he made changes. He told her he's seen a reduction in the use of straws by 90 per cent in his business. That establishment and others in Sudbury have agreed to put information sheets on their tables to inform customers about plastic pollution.

Her mother Cathy Orlando, who is a well known Sudbury environmentalist, says she's pleased business owners have been so receptive to her daughter's cause.

"It wasn't a discussion, they just said yes," she said.

As for what's next, Mathur says she plans to start contacting politicians next.

"We just spoke with [city] councillor Rene Lapierre and he's interested," she said.