Do Not Ask For Plastic Straws At Starbucks And These Other Places

The next time you order an ice-cold Starbucks beverage, you could be drinking out of the cup without a plastic straw. By 2020, the beverage behemoth will ditch single-use plastic straws in all its outlets worldwide. That’s over 28,000 branches around the globe, you guys. Instead, plastic lids reminiscent of sippy cups will be used for iced coffee, tea and espresso beverages. Frap fiends will still be able to drink out of their mocha frappucinos from a paper straw, though only upon request. The lids will soon be launched in Asia (including Singapore) for Nitro beverages. This move will save Starbucks a whopping estimated 1 billion straws per year.

Photo: Starbucks

KFC stopped providing plastic straws and plastic lids for drinks for dine-in customers at its 84 branches here in Singapore since last month, which will save an estimated 17.8 metric tonnes of single-use plastics annually. This is after the fast-food chain’s green initiative in Dec 2016 when it replaced paper boxes with reusable baskets for dine-in orders.

Why are conglomerates declaring war on the humble plastic straw, you ask? Plastic straws often end up in the ocean, polluting the ocean, and killing marine life and seabirds in the process. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates over 13mil tonnes of plastic ends up in oceans and kills 100,000 marine animals every year. In Singapore, we use 2.2mil straws daily (oh emm gee, right?). Last year, 822,000 tonnes of plastic was disposed in Singapore, with only six per cent of that being recycled.

Is the magnitude of the problem finally getting through to you? Do your bit and have a reusable straw with you when you’re on the go, or go to one of these establishments that have eschewed single-use plastic straws. Swipe to find out where you can go straw-free...and guilt-free.

Photo: MicBima on Unsplash

Banyan Tree Resorts And Hotels: It has pledged to phase out plastics — disposable cutlery, straws and bottles — by Earth Day next year (Apr 22) at all its 43 properties globally, including Angsana Ilhuru in the Maldives (pictured above).

Koufu food court at Singapore Management University: The first food court in Singapore to be rid of single-use plastic straws also uses eco-friendly takeaway packaging.

Foodpanda and Deliveroo: Both food delivery services have an opt-in function for disposable cutlery and straws with every order.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts group: By next June, you won’t find single-use plastics at all six of its hotels — including M Hotel, Studio M, M Social, Copthorne King’s Hotel, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel and Orchard Hotel — here. That includes straws, stirrers, packaging for toiletries and plastic bags. This move not only saves the planet, but the hotel chain up to $500k in expenditure on plastic products yearly. M Social currently uses paper straws in place of plastic ones, and hipster-friendly paper boxes and wooden cutlery for takeaway orders.

Hyatt hotels: The hotel chain will go strawless come Sep 1 at its hotels worldwide, scrapping the use of single-use plastic straws, drink picks, among others, with eco-friendly alternatives available only upon request.

Seattle: The birthplace of Starbucks is also the first major US city to ban the use of plastic straws and cutlery in F&B outlets.

Taiwan: The country will implement a blanket ban on single-use plastic products (straws, cups, bags, the works) by 2030. The first phase to be rolled out by next July will see a ban on providing plastic straws at major F&B chains. The country has already banned free plastic bags at major stores.