REHOBOTH BEACH — The Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution at a May 21 meeting that endorses elimination of single-use plastic straws in the city of Rehoboth Beach.

The resolution encourages restaurants and other food service facilities to voluntarily discontinue use of plastic straws. It asks that they offer only paper straws — except in situations where plastic straws may be required — beginning Jan. 1.

The resolution was recommended by the city’s Environment Committee, which is chaired by Commissioner Richard Byrne.

Each day, more than 500 million plastic straws are used in the United States. Plastic straws take up to 400 years to decompose in landfills and often gum up recycling machinery, a news release states.

According to the release, at the current plastic use rate, more plastic than fish will be in oceans by 2050. Studies indicate that plastic is already in the food supply, as microplastics in seafood, and that more than 90% of marine animals have consumed plastic, the release states.