Starbucks Hops on the Anti-Straw Bandwagon
The company vows to remove plastic straws from all stores by 2020.
Image: Getty Images/Zhang Peng
2018 is defining itself as the year the plastic straw became obsolete. Cities, companies and restaurants alike are deeming the tool unnecessary and environmentally harmful and taking action to remove those suckers from all sorts of establishments. And today, Starbucks became the newest force in the Anti-Straw Movement.
In a press release, the coffee giant promised to remove plastic straws from all of their 28,000 stores internationally, replacing them with a new Starbucks invention, and cutting down the 8 million metric tons of plastic that enter the ocean each year.
The company’s newly developed lids for their cold drinks mimic those found on the hot beverages will replace their green straws. In cases where customers absolutely need one, such as for the all-mighty Frappuccino, Starbucks will provide compostable paper substitutes.
Image: Starbucks
Customers in Seattle and Vancouver will be the first to experience the new change beginning this fall.
The plastic straw ban isn’t the only initiative Starbucks is taking to fight ocean pollution and promote sustainability. In the UK, the company has also placed taxes on paper cups, and worldwide, Starbucks offers a discount for customers who use reusable cups.
Of course, if you’re a fan of the endangered straw, metal equivalents have gained popularity.
With Starbucks joining the movement, who’s to say what’s next? But one thing is for sure: get ready to say goodbye, plastic straws. It was nice knowing you, but a clean ocean is better.
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