We’ve all heard the saying, “This is the last straw.” Referring to the straw that broke the camel’s back. It usually mean’s something wrong, but Starbucks is turning it on it’s head.
Yes, on Monday, the biggest coffee chain in the world, Starbucks, announced that they are doing away with their iconic green plastic straws. Instead they are looking towards the future with cups that have a lip, which people have compared to sippy cups.
This is huge, considering the damage we’ve seen in the oceans due to all the plastic that makes its way into the water and the wildlife. Video’s like the one with the turtle having a straw pulled out of it’s nose are definitely hard to watch, have definitely been a factor in how people think and feel about straws. According to Forbes the video is actually what caused such a huge change. (like to the article here)
Starbucks plans to phase out their plastic straws by 2020, and are looking towards developing compostable cups to lessen their carbon footprint even more, (by 1 billion straws a year according to Starbucks). For those who can’t live without a straw, don’t worry, paper straws are being considered as an eco-friendly option. There are always the reusable heavy duty green straws for the hard core SB fan. (They can be purchased here)
Other huge names, such as Ikea, Royal Caribbean, and American Airlines have decided to say goodbye to plastic in the future as well.
How do you feel about a future without plastic green straws?