TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) – A big milestone is being celebrated Friday on Tybee Island as Fight Dirty Tybee volunteers launched the island’s first-ever sustainable restaurant program.
It’s yet another way the group is trying to combat the issue they often see of harmful plastics making their way into the ocean.
Eight restaurants on the island now have decals to put in their windows. It shows that they’re all agreeing to not use things like plastic straws, plastic bags or Styrofoam, which are all known to harm marine life.
Fight Dirty Tybee volunteers and Tybee Island Mayor Shirley Sessions made their rounds to the different restaurants participating in this program. The restaurants were already using natural and biodegradable products, so the team wanted to properly recognize their efforts.
Coco’s, Sea Wolf, Sundae Cafe, The Cafe on 80, Salt Island Fish & Beer, Mi Vida, Chamacos and North Beach Bar and Grill are all participating, so far. Being gifted this decal, means the restaurants agree to drop plastic bags and straws in favor of sustainable alternatives to protect sea life.
“A lot of these restaurants have found creative ways to use agave or avocado seed or really exciting new products, fibers that biodegrade in a marine environment, instead of those single-use plastics. We wanted to recognize that,” Fight Dirty Tybee volunteer Tim Arnold said.
“It’s nice to have, kind of, a visible symbol of what we’re trying to achieve. We felt a responsibility for all the wildlife that calls this area home,” Coco’s Sunset Grille owner Donald McGraw said.
The Fight Dirty Tybee volunteers say they hope that this inaugural class of restaurants will maybe encourage some other restaurants here on the island to follow suit.
Copyright 2021 WTOC. All rights reserved.
