Its Sal Island and Boavista Cape Verde hotels will follow suit next month, with Tui hopeful of extending the initiative to the US in 2019.

The scheme extends to more than 35 RIU branded hotels across the Canary Islands, Andalusia, Madeira and the Algarve.

Collaboration with supplier Emicela, said Tui, has allowed it introduce more sustainable products, reducing carbon dioxide and harmful waste.

The straws are 100% biodegradable and compostable, meaning they break down in contact with other organic waste to product compost or fertiliser.

In typical conditions, it takes around 40 days for the straws to decompose, leaving no visible or toxic waste behind. Standard plastic straws, by comparison, will last some 300 years.

RIU has also changed its bar and restaurant policy to ensure straws are only provided when requested, except when required for specific drinks.

Hotels will also increase use of recycling containers, while staff have undergone training to promote proper disposal of waste that can be composted.

The aim of the initiative is to ensure its RIU hotels are ahead of the European Commission’s plans to ban certain single-use plastic items by 2021.

The Balearic Islands has also presented its own draft waste prevention law which would implement such a ban a year earlier.

Plastic straws account for around 4% of the eight million tonnes of plastic waste distributed worldwide.

Earlier this year, Abta made plastics the focus of its 2018 Make Holidays Greener campaign.