Thank you Outpost Foods and the Milwaukee Brewers for your commitment to preserving our environment

Yesterday, April 22 was Earth Day 2019, and I issued a statement declaring that our care for and conservation of our physical environment must be a top priority and goal. I pledged to do all I can to make lasting changes in my life and my community to help ensure that the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land that sustains us will be better for our children and the generations that follow us.

I was happy to learn that other local organizations are also stepping up to the plate with their commitment to ending the use of certain plastics in their business plans.

Outpost Foods has pledged to eliminate the use of petroleum-based plastic co-op packaging and consumables by 2022. And that means more than just the “paper or plastic” option at check-out. Outpost has already eliminated single-use plastic shopping bags, encouraging shoppers to use their own cloth or recycled plastic bags to carry their items home. Their sustainable model now includes a focus on the many re-useable and recyclable options such as bio-plastics and paper ware at food service counters in all stores.

The Milwaukee Brewers also announced on Earth Day that they would no longer provide plastic straws with beverages sold at their concession stands, but will offer paper straws to fans upon request. This in addition to pitcher Brent Suter’s #strikeoutwaste campaign launched during Spring Training to reduce the many individual plastic water bottles teammates use on a daily basis. Instead, Suter asked his fellow Brewers to pledge to fill and refill re-usable water bottles, thereby reducing plastic waste in the clubhouse and stadium. Brewers players Jesus Aguilar, Orlando Arcia, Yasmani Grandal, Jimmy Nelson, and manager Craig Counsell have signed on.

It’s great that the Milwaukee Brewers have eliminated plastic straws at Miller Park and that there is an effort underway by the team to eliminate plastic bottle use. It’s great that Outpost will eliminate plastic co-op packaging and consumables by 2022, and that Kroger (Pick ‘n Save) stores have also pledged to eliminate plastic shopping bags by 2025. But there is much more to do.

I challenge the many restaurants that make Milwaukee a haven for food lovers to meet this challenge as well. I challenge the fast food industry to do away with plastic eating utensils and plastic straws, and embrace environmentally-friendly alternatives. And I challenge businesses large and small in Milwaukee, the region, and the state to follow the lead of the City of Milwaukee to study the feasibility of eliminating these plastics, and using their purchasing power to better protect our environment and the only planet that we have.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.