The global coffee giant Starbucks announced Monday that they will eliminate all plastic straws and replace them with "adult sippy cup" lids.
Starbucks estimates this change will help to eliminate more than 1 billion plastic straws globally per year, most of which ends up in landfills and the ocean, where they endanger aquatic animals like turtles and contribute to pollution. Studies estimate that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean when measured by weight by 2050.
Frappuccino drinks will be served with the new eco-friendly straws, but customers may request the other cups if they'd prefer no straw at all.
Starbucks President and CEO Kevin Johnson called the move "a significant milestone to achieve our global aspiration of sustainable coffee, served to our customers in more sustainable ways." The company will begin offering the new lids in Vancouver and Seattle this fall.
Starbucks is the biggest company to make the environmentally friendly move and it’s expected that more companies will follow its lead and offer their own eco-friendly alternatives to plastic straws. Here are some of the most popular options available today:
Metal Straws
Considered the most eco-friendly option because of how long they can last, these reusable straws come in aluminum, stainless steel and titanium and are rustproof. Metal straws often come with cleaning brushes or can be brought separately to maintain cleanliness. Many metal straws are also dishwasher safe, bendable and are also made to fit most tumblers and cups.
Recyclable Lids
Starbucks’s strawless lid design, which was created by engineer Emily Alexander, could be a model for other stores. In their press release, the company said that after several weeks of designing, they chose the lid that featured a teardrop-shaped opening about the size of a thumbprint, described as a “cleaner, less-ridged version of a hot cup lid.”