For more than 60 years, Disney has maintained a commitment to environmental stewardship that it has acted upon in both big and small ways around the world. Since 1995, the Disney Conservation Fund has directed more than $70 million to reverse the decline of wildlife around the world. In 2017, The Walt Disney Company reduced its net greenhouse gas emissions by 41 percent and diverted nearly 50 percent of waste from landfills and incineration, making significant progress on its long-term goal of attaining a zero state of net greenhouse gas emissions and waste, while conserving water resources.
Today Disney announced the next step in its commitment to environmental stewardship. By 2019, the Company will eliminate single-use plastic straws and plastic stirrers at all owned and operated locations across the globe, amounting to a reduction of more than 175 million straws and 13 million stirrers annually.
Disney also shared additional plans to reduce plastic waste across its businesses over the next few years by transitioning to refillable in-room amenities in Disney’s hotels and on cruise ships, reducing the number of plastic shopping bags in its parks and on Disney Cruise Line and by completing its work to eliminate polystyrene cups across all of its global owned and operated businesses. In addition to its long-term effort to reduce single-use plastics, the Company will continue to recycle and responsibly dispose single-use waste that cannot be eliminated.
“Eliminating plastic straws and other plastic items are meaningful steps in our long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Bob Chapek, Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products. “These new global efforts help reduce our environmental footprint, and advance our long-term sustainability goals.”
“Disney has always been inspired by nature—and it is a uniquely powerful brand that inspires, educates, and entertains, all at the same time,” said Dr. M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International. “Today’s announcement is more than about reducing single-use plastic waste, it’s also about showing millions of kids and adults from around the world the many ways we can change our daily habits to care for the oceans and protect nature that sustains us all. It also builds on Disney’s longstanding commitment to conservation and environmental stewardship, a legacy that stretches from the highlands of Peru to the islands of the South Pacific.”
“Conservation isn’t just the business of a few people. It’s a matter that concerns all of us,” said Walt Disney, and the Company’s commitment to environmental stewardship today is as strong as it was when Walt spoke these words. To learn more about The Walt Disney Company’s long-term sustainability goals and commitment to the environment, visit TheWaltDisneyCompany.com/environment.
