SEATTLE (NewsNation Now) — The strawless revolution is expanding for Starbucks.
The company is completing its rollout of lightweight, strawless lids to all North American stores this month. Some customers say the cup resembles a child’s “sippy cup.”
According to Starbucks, the brand designed, developed and manufactured its strawless lid. It was modeled after the lid customers are accustomed to drinking their hot beverages from.
It will now be the standard lid for all iced coffee, tea, espresso and Starbucks Refreshers beverages.
The move was part of an effort by the brand to prevent an estimated one billion straws a year from ending up in landfills.
Unlike straws that cannot be recycled because of their size, the strawless lid meets the Association of Plastic Recyclers design guidelines for recyclability and can be recycled in many markets in the U.S. and Canada, Starbucks reports.
“We developed and trialed several prototypes to arrive at this milestone,” Andy Corlett, director of global packaging solutions and innovations, whose team at Starbucks helped design the lid, said in a news release. “A recyclable, strawless lid becoming the standard for iced drinks is one small way we can give more than we take from the planet. This is a significant moment for Starbucks as we work to reduce waste and safeguard the environment.”
If a straw is needed, customers can still get one at Starbucks upon request. However, the company is testing alternative straw options like compostable straws.
Strawless lids and straws made from alternative materials are expected to be rolled out to more markets in the coming year.
NewsNation affiliate WJW contributed to this report