SBUX Starbucks Corporation

By Micah Maidenberg 

Starbucks Corp. will begin a wider rollout this summer of its new lids for cold beverages that will eliminate the need for straws as the coffee giant works to cut down on plastic waste.

The coffee chain said Wednesday the new lids for cold drinks will debut in three cities on the West Coast -- Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle -- as well as Washington, D.C., Indianapolis and Toronto. The strawless lids are already available in some stores around the world for select specialty beverages.

Other markets in North America will start getting the lids, which the company said use 9% less plastic than the current lid and straw, in early 2020.

The new lids are designed for cold beverages, but Frappuccinos and other blended drinks will continue to come with a domed lid and straw, except where prohibited by local laws.

Last year, Starbucks said it would phase out single-serve plastic straws by 2020. Customers will still be able to request plastic straws at Starbucks stores, the company said Wednesday.

Restaurant chains and other companies are trying to reduce their use of single-serve straws and other plastic packaging as consumers worry about the environmental damage they can cause.

A 2015 YouTube video showing a sea turtle with a straw stuck in its nose prompted a social media movement to end single-use straws. Governments have also moved ahead with bans, including in Seattle, where Starbucks is based, or have considered it.

McDonald's Corp. will stop using plastic straws in the U.K. and Ireland. Burger King, a unit of Restaurant Brands International Inc., is working to make all its packaging in the U.K. recyclable by 2025. Last year, Dunkin' Brands Group Inc. started to phase out its white foam cups at its stores, switching to a double-walled paper cup instead.

Hyatt Hotels Corp. said last year plastic straws would only be available at its properties by request. Alaska Air Group Inc. also has said it would replace non-recyclable stir straws and picks with "sustainable, marine-friendly alternatives."

Starbucks says that phasing out plastic straws from its 30,000 stores world-wide would eliminate use of more than 1 billion straws annually.

Write to Micah Maidenberg at micah.maidenberg@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 20, 2019 11:29 ET (15:29 GMT)

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