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This is a change that we think we can get behind: Starbucks announced that, as of this week, folks purchasing iced drinks in the United States and Canada will be served their treats in cups featuring straw-less lids that you can actually sip on.
Don't get us wrong: we're all for eco-friendliness and we understand the important of paper straws in combating waste but, to be quite honest, they just don't do the job. We're confident that this new solution will turn out to be the best of both worlds and, perhaps, inspire other companies to move away from paper products and, instead, opt for these lids instead?
We should note that, unless local laws prohibit it, Starbucks will continue to serve its popular blended Frappuccinos and whipped-cream drinks with a straw and recyclable plastic dome lid.
The effort has been in testing mode for the past year as Starbucks locations all around the country have been serving drinks in the new cups and monitoring reactions. The company hopes to "eliminate one billion plastic straws globally per year," according to an official press release announcing the news. Given their size, plastic straws actually can't be recycled.
Here are some specifics: the lid was developed by the company itself and features 9% less plastic than the previously used flat-lid-and-straw combination. According to the company, the product is made with polypropylene—a material that the Association of Plastic Recyclers deems ideal for recyclability.
The announcement is part of Starbucks' effort to move towards a more green future. "Recyclable, straw-less lids for customers across the U.S. and Canada is another step in our journey to reduce our environmental footprint," said Michael Kobori, chief sustainability officer at Starbucks in an official statement. "As we move closer toward our 2030 target of a 50 percent reduction in waste sent to landfills, the long-standing history of innovation within Starbucks, partnership across the industry and changing consumer behavior remain fundamental to our purpose and our prosperity as an organization."
If you really can't picture yourself drinking from a cup like an adult without a straw, worry not: the sipping aid will still be available nation-wide upon request.
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