Starbucks will ban plastic straws from all stores worldwide by 2020, saving 1 BILLION straws each year

  • Starbucks Coffee Co. announced on Monday that its company-operated and licensed stores will no longer provide single-use plastic straws to its customers
  • The change is expected to take effect globally in less than two years, by 2020
  • Threat to oceans posed by the single-use products motivated this switch
  • This is expected to eliminate the use of more than 1 billion plastic straws per year
  • Starbucks' Seattle and Vancouver locations will be the first to make the change

Starbucks announced on Monday that it will ban plastic straws from all of its company-operated and licensed stores, worldwide, in less than two years.

The company cited the environmental threat to oceans posed by the single-use products as its motivating factor to accomplish this goal by 2020.

The switch is expected to eliminate the use of more than 1 billion plastic straws each year, according to estimates by Starbucks Coffee Co. 

To carry out this change, Starbucks will make a strawless lid or alternative material straw options available for certain drinks at more than 28,000 stores.

A simple experiment claims to reveal that Starbucks planned switch to strawless lids will actually require the use of more plastic than its previous use of straws with traditional lids; Its strawless lid for cold beverages, which is already in use in more than 8,000 stores, is seen here

Starbucks announced on Monday that it will ban plastic single-use straws from all of its more than 28,000 company-operated and licensed stores, worldwide, in less than two years; Its strawless lid for cold beverages, which is already in use in more than 8,000 stores, is seen here

'For our partners and customers, this is a significant milestone to achieve our global aspiration of sustainable coffee, served to our customers in more sustainable ways,' Kevin Johnson, president and chief executive officer for Starbucks, said in a statement posted to the company's website. 

The strawless lid is already available in over 8,000 stores in the US and Canada for select beverages, including Starbucks Draft Nitro and Cold Foam. 

It is now being piloted for Nitro beverages in China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, and will become the company's standard for all iced coffee, tea and espresso beverages.

'Right now, Starbucks patrons are topping most of their cold drinks with either 3.23 grams or 3.55 grams of plastic product, depending on whether they pair their lid with a small or large straw,' Britschgi said, adding that by his measure, 'Customers are at best breaking even under Starbucks' strawless scheme, or they are adding between .32 and .88 grams to their plastic consumption per drink;' A strawless lid is shown
'Right now, Starbucks patrons are topping most of their cold drinks with either 3.23 grams or 3.55 grams of plastic product, depending on whether they pair their lid with a small or large straw,' Britschgi said, adding that by his measure, 'Customers are at best breaking even under Starbucks' strawless scheme, or they are adding between .32 and .88 grams to their plastic consumption per drink;' A traditional lid and straw is shown

The switch to the strawless lid for cold drinks (left) is expected to eliminate the use of more than 1 billion plastic straws, like the one shown at right, each year

Straws made out of paper or compostable plastic, for use with Frappuccino blended beverages, will also be available by request for customers who prefer or need a straw.

Starbucks said cold drinks that have previously typically included a straw make up 50 per cent of its beverages sold at this time.

This number is up from just 37 per cent of beverage sales, five years ago. 

The company's announcement comes one week after it's flagship city, Seattle, banned single-use plastic straws and utensils at businesses that sell food or drinks within its limits. 

Starbucks' Seattle and Vancouver locations will be the first to roll out the change. 

With this move, the business becomes the largest food and beverage company operating globally to commit to this policy, it said. 

Starbucks' Seattle and Vancouver locations will be the first to roll out the change; This file photo shows the Starbucks logo hanging outside one of the company's cafes in Northwich, Cheshire, England on July 3, 2008

Starbucks' Seattle and Vancouver locations will be the first to roll out the change; This file photo shows the Starbucks logo hanging outside one of the company's cafes in Northwich, Cheshire, England on July 3, 2008

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