TAMPA, Fla. -- The University of Tampa is joining the no plastic movement and has announced that its dining facilities will no longer offer single-use plastic straws and stirrers. 

University President Ronald Vaughn said the university, along with its dining services provider, Sodexo, decided to make the change due to the detrimental environmental impacts of plastic straws. 

“Especially being in Florida, on the bank of the Hillsborough River, we want to improve the health of our nearby waterways and oceans, and reduce our overall environmental impact,” Vaughn said. “Removing plastic straws and other plastic products helps with the much bigger sustainability issue.”

Vaughn said paper straws will be available upon request. 

The University of Tampa joins a number of other companies in the no straw movement, including Starbucks, Disney, Hyatt, Busch Gardens, and Miama Beach, Fort Myers Beach, and St. Petersburg. 

According to reports, Americans use 500 million straws every day, and by 2050, it’s projected there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish.

Other efforts by the university to reduce its use of plastic products are: 

  • The university has installed 54 water bottle refill stations on campus over the past three years, eliminating the use of 2.4 million single-use plastic bottles
  • Starting this fall, Sodexo will offer biodegradable clamshell to-go containers that are microwavable and refrigerator safe, as well as soak proof and oil resistant
  • Hot and cold Styrofoam or plastic cups and lids will be replaced with cups and lids fabricated with 100 percent compostable, disposable material 

For more information about UT’s sustainability efforts, go to www.ut.edu/sustainability.