The world’s largest coffee shop is about to make some big changes. Starbucks announced on Monday that it will be phasing out its plastic straws in a bid to support the ongoing global campaign for environmental sustainability.
The company aims to have the strawberry green straws phased out from its 28,000 locations across the globe completely by 2020. In a statement, the company emphasized its commitment to the sustainability cause and promised to eliminate over 1 billion straws from its locations around the world every year.
Despite its 2020 D-day, the company is already making moves to make it happen. Starbucks locations in Vancouver and Seattle will see the straws replaced starting as early as this fall. The move will then spread to other locations as planned.
In place of the green straws, Starbucks will be offering cup lids without the straw holes. For customers that can’t do without the usual straws, the company has a solution in form of alternative straws made from biodegradable plastic and paper.
It’s expected that the alternative straws will be offered automatically to anyone that orders for a Frappuccino, although anyone who asks for them will get them too, regardless of their beverage.
