Starbucks joined the movement against plastic straws this Monday, July 9, with the announcement of their plan to stop using them by 2020.
After a video of a turtle with a plastic straw caught in its nose went viral a few years ago, the movement to reduce or ban plastic straws has caught public attention and gained momentum, causing cities, businesses, and institutions to reconsider their use.
According to a report by Better Alternatives Now, the Starbucks green straw, of which there are more than a billion given out annually, is the most frequently found in nature; second behind it is McDonald’s.
Instead of plastic straws, which never fully decompose, Starbucks will be using recyclable “strawless lids” along with straws made out of environmentally friendly material, such as paper or wood.
