Starbucks to remove plastic straws from all 28,000 stores around the globe

Starbucks will be removing all unrecyclable plastic straws by 2022

As part of a $10 million (£7.5 million) commitment to develop a fully compostable and recyclable cup solution, coffee giant Starbucks has announced that it will be replacing all plastic straws for their drinks with a new strawless lid or alternative-material straws. The move will affect its 28,000 stores across the globe and it means they are currently the largest food and beverage company who have committed to do so. In total, it is believed that the move will mean a staggering 1 billion plastic straws per year will be eliminated from the high-street coffee brand's stores. Environmental activists have been campaigning for the move for some time due to the negative impacts unrecyclable plastic straws have as waste in the world's oceans, often considerably harming marine life. [caption id="attachment_188912" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Image courtesy of Starbucks[/caption] The new recyclable lid, as shown above, will be served as standard on all iced coffee, tea and espresso beverages. For those who do need a straw, they will be available upon request and made out of paper or combustable plastic, and will also be served with Frappuccino blended drinks. Fast-food chain McDonald's have also said that it will be switching to paper straws by next year in the UK and Ireland. Nicolas Mallos, director of the Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas program, has stated that "With eight million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean every year, we cannot afford to let industry sit on the sidelines, and we are grateful for Starbucks leadership in this space." President and CEO of Starbucks Kevin Johnson also added that the move "Is a significant milestone to achieve our global aspiration of sustainable coffee, served to our customers in more sustainable ways." According to The Guardian, straws add around 2,000 tonnes of waste per year, and make up around 4% of the plastic waste currently in the ocean.