STARBUCKS TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON STRAW BAN

In 2018, Starbucks made a big commitment to the environment and environmentalists everywhere.  

“We’re removing plastic straws in our stores globally by 2020 – reducing more than 1 billion plastic straws per year from our stores,” said a tweet by the company. 

So, here we are closing in on the last three months of 2019, and we’re wondering if Starbucks is prepared to follow through on its timeline. It would appear that it is. 

The two most famous tactics Starbucks has undertaken to combat pollution are the introduction of nitro lids, and straws made of paper or compostable PLA plastic. There has been some controversy surrounding the nitro lids as a greener option because they use more plastic than the old lid-and-straw combo. However, many skeptics about the environmental impact of nitro lids fail to take into consideration the fact that a nitro lid can be recycled, while a straw cannot. This is because straws cannot be captured in recycling streams while nitro lids are big enough to be processed. So, while the nitro lids do use more plastic, they are 100% recyclable, whereas only the lid from a lid-and-straw combo can be recycled.   

At this point in the game, nearly every Starbucks store serves nitro cold brew, and therefore offers the strawless nitro lid. Seeing as how Starbucks’s hometown of Seattle banned plastic straws just before the company announced its green goal, it is no surprise that many stores in Seattle already offer plastic straw alternatives. Many stores in central and southern California also offer alternative straws and updated versions of the nitro lid. Some stores in Portland have even moved on to giving plastic straws out only when requested, and it is likely that the trend will be spreading to all Portland metro area outlets, including Gresham. The updated nitro lids should also be spreading north soon. 

As a Starbucks employee myself, I know many customers have experienced issues with nitro lids popping off of the cups quite easily. Knowing that California has the updated nitro lids that have addressed this issue, we hope to see them in Oregon stores soon.  

Nitro lids and alternative straws are not the only strides Starbucks took toward being a greener company in 2018. According to Starbucks, the company also committed $10 million to Closed Loop Partners to create the NextGen Cup Challenge. The challenge will allow entrepreneurs to be awarded with grants when they are working on ideas that could lead to more sustainable cups. The goal is to introduce cups that are 100% compostable by replacing the traditional thin plastic lining with a plant-based lining that can withstand hot liquids. The goal was to have the cups in stores within three years.   

Within the next couple of months, it will become clear whether or not Starbucks is able to ditch plastic straws by 2020. Hopefully the NextGen Cup challenge will also lead to large-scale changes in the corporate world to benefit the environment. When one company takes a stand for the Earth, others will follow.