Not Just Pancakes but Also Plastics! IHOP’s Wildlife-Killing Nondisposables Prompt Plea From PETA
For Immediate Release:
August 3, 2022
Contact:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382
IHOP uses a mind-boggling 255 metric tons of packaging per year—much of it nonbiodegradable plastic—so today PETA fired off a letter to the company’s CEO, John W. Peyton, urging him to replace single-use plastics with options made from natural plant fibers. Plastic litter is responsible for killing wildlife who ingest it or become entangled in it, and IHOP is actively contributing to the 15 to 51 trillion pieces of plastic currently choking ocean life.
“Plastic is found in the stomachs of more than 90% of dead seabirds, and the bodies of numerous other types of animals found washed up on shore are filled with plastic waste,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “We urge IHOP to carry out a switch from using single-use plastics for its straws, takeout containers, and bags to serving up biodegradable, plant-based items.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—banned all plastics from its offices in 2018. The group opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
PETA’s letter to Peyton follows.
August 3, 2022
John W. Peyton, CEO
Dine Brands Global Inc.
Dear Mr. Peyton:
I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals U.S.—PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globally—to express our hope that you will end your use of harmful single-use plastics at IHOP to benefit animals and the environment.
IHOP uses 255 metric tons of packaging per year, including 37,459,200 individual plastic containers and 208,107,000 plastic straws. Some of these items are made of polyethylene terephthalate, a single-use, nonbiodegradable plastic that’s polluting the planet. It’s estimated that there are now 15 to 51 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that “every bit of plastic ever made still exists.”
Some 100,000 marine animals and at least a million birds are killed each year after ingesting plastic or becoming entangled in it. Plastic is found in 90% of dead seabirds, and numerous other animals are found dead, washed up on shore, and filled with plastic waste. It can take thousands of years for plastic to break down, and just one bit of plastic can kill numerous animals, because after one animal dies from the plastic, that body will decompose, and the plastic will be released back into the environment and harm another animal.
We urge IHOP to switch from using single-use plastics for its straws, takeout containers, bags, and all other items to using biodegradable, plant-based alternatives made out of natural plant fibers. Thankfully, awareness of the sheer amount of plastic waste in the ocean and its detrimental impact on wildlife is increasing, which helps make alternatives more plentiful and accessible, thereby propelling positive change for animals and the environment. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Ingrid Newkirk
President
