Emojis are an integral part of communication for many Millennials, which is why Baracdi and Lonely Whale are pushing to remove all plastic straw emojis. The movement is part of the #TheFutureDoesntSuck campaign, which seeks to get rid of 1 billion plastic straws by 2020. Comedian Daniel Franzese has taken part to spread the message through a YouTube campaign asking Unicode to ditch the digital straws.
The impact of plastic on wildlife is monumental, specifically for marine life who are reportedly dying from starvation due to indigestible plastic being consumed. Dune Ives, Executive Director of Lonely Whales, stated: "Many have made a commitment to eliminate single-use plastic straws yet the emojis we use in social media haven’t kept up with our commitment to an ocean free from plastic." With countless global initiatives to ban single-use plastic straws, it's only fitting that the digital ones are following suit.
Anti-Plastic Emoji Campaigns
Bacardi Partnered with Lonely Whale to Remove Plastic Straw Emojis
Trend Themes
1. Plastic-free Movement - Building on the movement to eliminate single-use plastic straws, the push to remove plastic straw emojis highlights the growing trend towards a plastic-free world.
2. Emojis for Environmental Awareness - Using emojis as a tool for raising awareness about environmental issues, campaigns like #TheFutureDoesntSuck demonstrate the potential for digital icons to drive change.
3. Focused Sustainability Initiatives - Efforts to remove plastic straw emojis highlight the importance of aligning digital symbols with real-world sustainability goals, encouraging businesses to adopt more focused sustainability initiatives.
Industry Implications
1. Beverage Industry - Through partnerships like Bacardi's collaboration with Lonely Whale, the beverage industry has an opportunity to lead the charge in reducing single-use plastics and promoting environmental responsibility.
2. Social Media Industry - The call for removing plastic straw emojis highlights the role of social media platforms and tech companies in adopting more environmentally conscious practices and promoting sustainable behaviors.
3. Communications Industry - As emojis become a vital part of modern communication, the communications industry can leverage the power of digital symbols to raise awareness and drive action on pressing environmental issues.