Starbucks to Eliminate Plastic Straws Globally by 2020
July 09 2018 - 6:00AM
Business Wire
Plastic straws to be replaced with new
recyclable strawless lid and alternative-material straw options
Move builds upon a $10M commitment to develop a
fully recyclable and compostable global cup solution
Marks significant milestone in the company’s
thirty-year history in sustainable innovations
Today, Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) announced it will
eliminate single-use plastic straws from its more than 28,000
company-operated and licensed stores by making a strawless lid or
alternative-material straw options available, around the
world. Starbucks, the largest food and beverage retailer to
make such a global commitment, anticipates the move will eliminate
more than one billion plastic straws per year from Starbucks
stores.
Starbucks has designed, developed and manufactured a strawless
lid, which will become the standard for all iced coffee, tea and
espresso beverages. The lid is currently available in more than
8,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada for select beverages including
Starbucks Draft Nitro and Cold Foam. The lid is also being piloted
for Nitro beverages in additional markets including China, Japan,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In addition, Starbucks will
begin offering straws made from alternative materials – including
paper or compostable plastic – for Frappuccino® blended beverages,
and available by request for customers who prefer or need a
straw.
“For our partners and customers, this is a significant milestone
to achieve our global aspiration of sustainable coffee, served to
our customers in more sustainable ways,” said Kevin Johnson,
president and chief executive officer for Starbucks.
Customers in Seattle and Vancouver will be the first to see the
strawless lids implemented, starting this fall, with phased
rollouts within the U.S. and Canada to follow in FY19. A global
rollout of the strawless lid will follow, beginning in Europe where
strawless lids will arrive in select stores in France and the
Netherlands, as well as in the UK just as the market expands its 5p
paper cup charge to 950 stores, to further promote reusability.
“Starbucks goal to eliminate plastic straws by 2020 from their
stores globally represents the company’s forward thinking in
tackling the material waste challenge in totality,” said Erin
Simon, director of sustainability research & development and
material science at World Wildlife Fund, U.S. “Plastic straws that
end up in our oceans have a devastating effect on species. As we
partner with Starbucks in waste reduction initiatives such as Next
Gen Consortium Cup Challenge and WWF’s Cascading Materials Vision,
we hope others will follow in their footsteps.”
“Starbucks decision to phase out single-use plastic straws is a
shining example of the important role that companies can play in
stemming the tide of ocean plastic. 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,” said Nicholas Mallos, director of Ocean
Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas program.
Starbucks has a 30-year track record of focusing on
sustainability across all aspects of its business, including
achieving 99 percent ethically-sourced coffee. In addition to
today’s announcement, Starbucks has previously committed $10
million to develop and help bring to market a fully recyclable and
compostable hot cup, in partnership with Closed Loop Partners,
through the NextGen Cup Consortium and Challenge.
As Starbucks chief executive officer Kevin Johnson outlined in
his presentation to investors at the Oppenheimer Consumer
Conference in June, the company is focused on adapting to rapidly
changing consumer trends with cold beverages accounting for more
than 50% of Starbucks beverage mix in the U.S., up from 37% just
five years ago. The movement to eliminate single-use plastic straws
has been gaining tremendous momentum globally, with consumers
showing increased concern for the greater issue of waste, of which
straws is just a part. That’s why Starbucks recognizes the work
ahead to build on its long history in sustainability, which
includes:
- Achieving 99 percent ethically-sourced
coffee
- Trialing a 5p paper cup charge in
London, which will be expanded to 950 stores in the UK later this
month, to promote reusability
- Offering a discount to any customer who
brings a reusable cup or tumbler to company-owned stores around the
world
- Starbucks cups contain 10%
post-consumer fiber, introduced in 2006 and a number the company
expects to double by 2022
- Building more than 1,500 LEED®
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified stores in
20 markets, including all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico
- Starbucks purchases Renewable Energy
Certificates, currently covering 62% of our electricity usage
globally, with a goal of reaching 100% globally by 2020
- Expansion of the FoodShare program that
donates unsold food to food banks around the country
About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to
ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today,
with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster
and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our
unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we
bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer
through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in
our stores or online at http://news.starbucks.com or
www.starbucks.com.
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