It’s Time for Starbucks to Drop Plastic Straws – Let’s Tell Them Now!

Being the largest coffee chain in the world and one of the most recognizable brands, Starbucks has the power to influence trends in the restaurant space. This is why the company’s moves toward being more environmentally friendly matter so much. When it comes to plastic straws – one of the most targeted disposable plastic items – Starbucks UK has already decided to launch a trial run of alternative solutions to the “regular” non-biodegradable straw. This is a great first step, but the company can do even better – and forgo plastic straws everywhere.

In America, some 500 million plastic straws are being used every single day. On its own, one straw can pose a serious threat to marine animals, so you can only imagine the impact of millions of these plastic items in the oceans.

We typically only use straws for a matter of minutes, but they can remain in the environment for up to one hundred years … and when they break down, they don’t just disappear, they turn into millions of tiny bits of microplastic that are often consumed by marine animals – and make their way up the food chain to us.

The food industry and a number of governments have already acknowledged this problem and taken steps to end the senseless overuse of plastic straws and other items. There is no reason why Starbucks, one of the top coffee chains worldwide, cannot implement similar policies – for the planet, for its customers, and for a sustainable future.

Click here to sign a petition urging Starbucks to stop using plastic straws. Together we can show the company that its customers want the change and will welcome it – the sooner the better!

Image source: JESHOOTScom/Pixabay