US: Starbucks to phase out plastic straws by 2020

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON

International coffee giant Starbucks announced Monday it will eliminate plastic drinking straws from its stores due to environmental concerns.

Starbucks said the move will affect its more than 28,000 company-operated and licensed stores worldwide. Strawless lids will replace the sipping utensils for its iced beverages while paper and compostable plastic straws will stand-in for plastic for the company's Frappuccino drinks, or be given to customers upon request.

“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 President Kevin Johnson said in a statement announcing the policy shift.

The new policy will initially be rolled out in Starbucks' Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, Canada stores beginning this fall with a complete rollout in the U.S. and Canada by late 2019. A global implementation will follow, beginning in Europe.

“Starbucks’ 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,” Nicholas Mallos, the director of Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas program said in a statement distributed by Starbucks.

“With eight million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean every year, we cannot afford to let industry sit on the sidelines,” he added.