Starbucks will likely set trend on plastic straws

If nothing else, decision generates conversation on plastic problem

The age of plastic straws may be coming to an end. On Monday, Starbucks announced plans to drop plastic straws by 2020, moving instead to new cups with strawless lids.

According to a CNN report, the company’s move will eliminate more than 1 billion plastic straws a year.

The new lids have drawn some attention on social media, where they’ve been dubbed “adult sippy cups.”

However, the new lids are recyclable, unlike plastic straws, so the move is an environmentally friendly one.

And for patrons who prefer straws or those with special needs that require a straw, Starbucks plans to offer versions made from paper or compostable plastics.

According to the Associated Press, plastic straws make up only about 4 percent of plastic trash by number of pieces, and far less by weight. “Straws add up to about 2,000 tons of the nearly 9 million tons of plastic waste that ends up in waters around the globe each year,” AP reports.

However, it is still one of the top five biggest sources of single-use plastics, a list that also includes plastic bags, water bottles, to-go containers and to-go cups, the AP reports.

People can be better stewards of the planet with a few easy steps, such as using reusable water bottles and reusable bags.

But restaurants don’t always make it easy to stay environmentally friendly, simply because most to-go drinks come with a one-use plastic straw. Starbucks, however, is changing that. Their impact may be small on the overall plastics problem, but the business likely will set a trend that other companies follow. And that will have a bigger impact longterm.

And if nothing else, Starbucks’ decision will get people talking and thinking about plastics, and that too could have a positive impact. The move by Starbucks is a smart one. What do you think, readers? Share your thoughts online at www.YumaSun.com, or send us a Letter to the Editor at letters@yumasun.com.