Going strawless

Starbucks is saying goodbye to its signature green plastic straws. By 2020, the company announced today, it will have entirely eliminated the use of single-use plastic straws in stores around the world.

Instead, its beverages will be capped with strawless lids – reminiscent of an “adult sippy cup” – or served with straws made from alternative materials “including paper or compostable plastic,” according to a statement.

The Seattle-based coffee chain estimates the action will save more than onebillion plastic straws from hitting the garbage can each year, and is key to its “commitment to develop a fully recyclable and compostable global cup solution.”

Pressure has been building for businesses to shed singleuse plastic straws due to the threat they pose to marine life and the health of the world’s oceans. Last week, Seattle became the latest city to ban plastic utensils and straws. Vancouver will become the first Canadian city to do so in the fall of 2019.

“Starbucks(‘s) decision to phase out single-use plastic straws is a shining example of the important role that companies can play in stemming the tide of ocean plastic,” said Nicholas Mallos, director of Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas program.

“With eight-million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean every year, we cannot afford to let industry sit on the sidelines, and we are grateful for Starbucks’ leadership in this space.”

Starbucks’s strawless lids “will become the standard for all iced coffee, tea and espresso beverages” in Seattle and Vancouver this fall. The company then plans to launch a phased rollout throughout Canada and the U.S., and finally in stores worldwide.