Tuesday 10 July 2018

Starbucks pledges to ditch plastic straws globally by 2020

Starbucks has pledged to ban single-use plastic straws globally by the end of the decade.

It aims phase out single-use straws from more than 280,000 stores, expected to eliminate more than one billion straws every year.

The coffee retailer said the plastic straws will be replaced with new lids designed for use without straws – currently available in more than 8,000 stores in the US and Canada - and paper or compostable alternatives.

The new lid is also being piloted in other markets including China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Kevin Johnson, President and CEO at Starbucks 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.”

The company is trialling a 5p paper cup charge in London, which will be expanded to 950 stores in the UK later this month in a bid to tackle waste.