SAN ANTONIO – Activists on Monday presented Whataburger officials with a petition signed by more than 50,000 people calling for the Texas burger giant to stop using plastic foam cups.
Environment Texas, Surfrider Foundation's Texas Coastal Bend chapter and Care2.com delivered the petition to Whataburger's corporate headquarters in San Antonio.
Luke Metzger, a spokesperson for Environment Texas, said the cups can end up in rivers, lakes and oceans, harming the species that inhabit those areas.
"Polystyrene, which is commonly known as Styrofoam, is one of the most dangerous form(s) of plastic solution," Metzger said. "At least a third of those cups don't make it to the landfill but instead will make it to our parks and our beaches and our waterways."
The petition states that some species may mistake the cup for food.
"When animals ingest plastic waste, it can block their digestive tracts," the petition says. "As a result, they starve."
A spokesman for Whataburger said the company is looking into alternatives, but hasn't made any formal commitments.