They have been a staple of kid's parties and cafes for decades, but plastic straws in Wellington's waterfront bars and restaurants are now being targeted.

The city's council is considering bulk buying paper straws as a trial to help the hospitality industry move away from plastic.

American exchange student Katie Timzen has been conducting research that shows some bars and restaurants hand out about 800 straws a week.

"It would be great for council to help restaurants take that initial step, say 'here's some straws, try them out, see what customers say and see if this is something you'll continue with down the line'."

Up Cuba Street, Fidel's assistant manager Gemma Chipp says the cafe's already made the switch to straws that can be composted.

She said a packet of disposable straws costs about $2.50. That means it is a more expensive move, but she said it's worth it.

"Now we're spending a lot more than that on the straws, but having gotten our usage down, it became a bit more viable for us."

The calls come after similar moves to ban plastic based products, including supermarket bags and microbeads in cosmetic products.