Remember back in like, 2011 when times weren’t so rough in the world? If people mentioned 2020 we knew it was so far away we didn’t really care about it. But now it’s only a year and a half away and now you feel old, am I right?
Well as the world turns and gets crazier and crazier at every second, Starbucks of all brands is trying to make it a better place for us to all live. That’s why recently they announced that by 2020 they won’t be using straws in any of their stores.
You might have gotten an iced coffee recently from a Starbucks and been confused why they gave you a sippy cup to drink it out of. Well this is a part of a nation wide push for the company to be done with plastic straws.
Plastic straws are becoming a huge problem in the world, because they often end up in the ocean and polluting the water. If the world continues on it’s plastic path, scientists say that there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. That’s a crazy stat.
So you’re probably wondering how your basic self will be able to drink your frappuccinos? Starbucks is going to be serving those with eco-friendly straws.
The press release from Starbucks reads:
“Starbucks has designed, developed and manufactured a strawless lid, which will become the standard for all iced coffee, tea and espresso beverages. The lid is currently available in more than 8,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada for select beverages including Starbucks Draft Nitro and Cold Foam. The lid is also being piloted for Nitro beverages in additional markets including China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In addition, Starbucks will begin offering straws made from alternative materials – including paper or compostable plastic – for Frappuccino® blended beverages, and available by request for customers who prefer or need a straw.”
Kevin Johnson who is the CEO and President of Starbucks also said:
“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.”
Starbucks is continuing to innovate with their cups and straws so we shall see if they really come through with this huge goal.
Erin Simon, who is the director of sustainability research & development and material science at the World Wildlife Fund also said in the press release:
“Plastic straws that end up in our oceans have a devastating effect on species. As we partner with Starbucks in waste reduction initiatives such as Next Gen Consortium Cup Challenge and WWF’s Cascading Materials Vision, we hope others will follow in their footsteps.”
Here’s what people are thinking on Twitter!
The next time I'm idling my car for 20 minutes at a drive thru for a strip mall Starbucks built atop a reclaimed wetland, I will feel a unique sense of satisfaction that they are protecting the earth from straws. pic.twitter.com/jvvIbKfs76
— Tristin Hopper (@TristinHopper) July 9, 2018
PSA: So everyone seems super hype about Starbucks phasing out straws but PLEASE I BEG YOU – just buy a reusable cup and you’ll never have to throw a plastic cup/straw in the trash again. Save the earth, love your mother, I’m out ✌🏼🌏💚
— Jennie Lien (@Jen_R_lien) July 9, 2018
Plastic straws will soon be phased out of all Starbucks stores, reducing the total number used each year by 1 billion pic.twitter.com/d25vAqbjea
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) July 10, 2018
So what are you going to order at your next Starbucks run?! Sound off in the comments!
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