TAMPA, Fla. — SeaWorld parks have taken another step to further their commitment to reduce their environmental footprints.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment announced Tuesday that it has removed all polystyrene foam dinnerware products from its 12 parks, including Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. These products include bowls, plates and trays at the parks' restaurants.
The parks have replaced foam products with those made from 100 percent recycled materials.
SeaWorld said the parks serve millions of meals each year, and the removal of foam products keeps them out of landfills and ocean ecosystems.
"This change allows us to save an estimated 14 million pieces of polystyrene foam dinnerware which is resistant to decomposition and difficult to recycle, from entering the environment each year," Andrew Ngo, corporate vice president of in-park revenue, said.
The move comes months after SeaWorld and Busch Gardens banned plastic straws and bags in all parks. In place of the plastics, the parks use reusable cloth bags and paper straws at some of the restaurants and concession stands.
Disney parks also joined the effort last July by announcing it would phase out plastic straws and plastic stirrers by mid-2019.
What other people are reading right now:
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.
Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.