Starbucks to Eliminate Plastic Straws in Stores by 2020
Biodegradable alternatives are on the way.
Following Seattle’s recent ban on plastic utensils, Starbucks has announced plans to rid its global outposts of plastic drinking straws by 2020. Instead, the coffee giant will experiment with offering biodegradable alternatives and specially-designed lids that don’t require straws. Though plastic straws only represent roughly 4 percent of the 9 million tons of global plastic waste generated each year — straws weigh in at about roughly 2,000 tons — the move is a timely one: other bans are currently being considered in New York and San Francisco, and McDonald’s will reportedly begin testing paper straws in some US locations.
Starbucks’s strawless lids, seen above, will begin to roll out in the US later this year, with the global launch — beginning in Europe — soon after.
Earlier this year, Noah’s Brendon Babenzien reiterated similar eco-conscious statements.
