SeaWorld bans plastic bags, straws from 12 theme parks

ORLANDO, Fla. - To protect the environment, SeaWorld Entertainment has removed all single-use straws and plastic bags from the company's 12 theme parks, including those in Orlando.

The Orlando-headquartered company made the announcement Friday in a news release.

'We see the harmful effects of plastic pollution in the animals we rescue and rehabilitate and therefore recognize the importance of doing our part to curb plastic pollution,” interim CEO John T. Reilly said in a statement.

The Ocean Conservancy, a not-for-profit environmental advocacy group, estimates that eight million metric tons of plastics end up in the ocean every year, SeaWorld said in the release.

'The process has been ongoing for a few years,” SeaWorld spokesman Travis Claytor said about reducing plastic waste.

'This has been something we've been working toward.”