This week in food and travel: Plastic straws are getting the boot

Life

It’s no secret the world has a plastic problem: the World Economic Forum estimates there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by the year 2050.

There are lots of single-use plastic items we could stop using, but the one getting the most attention lately is the drinking straw. An outright ban on straws has been proposed in the U.K., and though similar legislation has yet to launch in the states, businesses and cities are embracing the ban on their own terms.

A running list of restaurants, hotels and cities in America banning plastic straws

Degtiarova Viktoriia/Shutterstock

Public service announcement: There are alternatives to sipping your iced coffee through a non-recyclable plastic vessel. Read more here.

Why a gay monument denied entry to a blind queer person — and how to improve spaces for disabled people

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Even the most progressive spaces can be imperfect when it comes to inclusivity. Raising awareness is the first step to rectifying such inequalities. Read more here.

I celebrated Juneteenth with some of America’s best black chefs

Clay Williams

The James Beard Foundation’s first Juneteenth celebration was organized by Top Chef contestants Chris Scott, Brother Luck, Adrienne Cheatham and Tanya Holland. Read more here.

Why the future of food — and hunger — is in the hands of chefs

Ken Goodman/James Beard Foundation

Chefs have the power to educate diners on both food and the law. Ultimately, they could be the ones to impact food policy in a big way. Read more here.