Starbucks to Debut New Lids This Summer in Six Cities
21 March 2019 - 1:49AM
Dow Jones News
By Micah Maidenberg
Starbucks Corp. will begin rolling out new lids for cold
beverages this summer 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.
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 10:34 ET (14:34 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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