RI Hospitality Association (RIHA) has rolled out a new campaign to reduce plastic pollution, the #AskFirstRI pledge. The effort is geared toward hospitality businesses to only give straws to customers upon request, instead of automatically putting one in a customer’s drink. Disposable plastic straws are not recyclable and often end up in landfills, oceans or the environment. With Americans throwing away half a billion straws every day and eight million tons of plastic dumped into the planet’s oceans every year, the association is using the effort to raise awareness and create action, as “keeping oceans clean is an integral part of maintaining business in Rhode Island.” RIHA is committed to “educating its members on the how to reduce the industry’s environmental impact in practical, business-friendly ways.” Restaurants and bars can sign up via a web form and download a poster to help educate customers. Find out more at rihospitality.org.