STROUDSBURG, Pa. -- There's something missing from drinking glasses at The Yard of Ale on Main Street in downtown Stroudsburg -- straws.
One group took notice of the missing drink accessory as soon as water was brought to the table.
"I did notice, and I honestly didn't care, and once I realized what it was for, I was just happy," said Skylar Morales of Pen Argyl.
Restaurant owner Barry Lynch says he overheard his employees talking about a new movement that aims to get rid of plastic straws because of pollution. Lynch did some research and was surprised by the damage a plastic straw can cause.
"Some of them showed me pictures with turtles and straws stuck in their nasal cavities and everywhere else, and I'm thinking, 'What a cruel death.' So working with the staff and talking with them and asking them what they would like me to do, we came up with this 'Last Straw' campaign," said Barry Lynch, The Yard of Ale owner.
If you really want a plastic straw, they are being given out but only upon request and will be kept behind the bar. And remember those plastic cocktail stirrers that used to come in your drink? Those are gone, too, and have been replaced with wooden stirrers.
"That's awesome. I really wish that New Jersey would take that initiative, too," said Isabel Jackson, New Jersey.
"This is a huge issue and it's really being undermined and ignored and we just, we need more places to do this," said Morales.
The restaurant also replaced plastic salad dressing containers, take-out containers, and plastic bags with biodegradable ones.