Starbucks’ new lid – does it hurt or help?
If you haven’t heard, Starbucks is replacing their lid-straw combo on cold drinks with a new sippy cup type lid. The move is being applauded as it eliminates straws but did they miss the point? Skipping straws is an easy way for most people to reduce their plastic use (yes I know some disabilities require straw use). And we all know that straws aren’t recyclable. So is this change better or worse?
Let’s take a step back and reiterate the problem we’re trying to solve. To me, the goal is less plastic being created and entering the environment and Starbucks’ packaging change fails to bring us closer to this goal.
Increasing the amount of plastic entering the world is not a win to be celebrated!
Starbucks’ new lid will make the plastic situation even worse. Yep, you read that correctly EVEN WORSE. The new lid contains more plastic than the old top-straw combo, a fact that Starbucks has neither addressed nor denied. Their claim is that the new top is recyclable whereas straws are not. Recyclable, that must be a good thing right? Not exactly. The sad fact is, only around 9% of plastic that can be recycled is recycled. So the more we create the worse the problem becomes. We need to focus on creating less of it in aggregate, no matter the form.
We all have a responsibility for the environment and our impact on it. When will we start holding companies accountable for their packaging instead of allowing them to externalize their environmental impact? That’s what it’s going to take to see real, innovative change in single-use packaging. If they were taxed a hefty amount on the environmental impact of their packaging I’m willing to bet they would have been a little more motivated.
The environment breaks down all plastics the same way; into micro-plastics we can never hope to clean up. Those micro-plastics go on to pollute our waterways and become part of the fish we eat making a full circle to poisoning you.
Do you want to use a cup, fork, spoon, straw (or whatever) now that will poison you & your family forever? Of course not. Until there’s broader change in single-use packaging bringing your own everything is the only way to avoid becoming part of the problem. Once you get in the habit of it, it becomes easy like everything else you routinely do.
Please think before you buy and don’t be tricked by a media stunt! I can’t believe this change was anything but and I’m surprised by how many people believe it’s a step forward. A non-plastic, biodegradable cup/lid – now that’s a change I can get behind!
Until next time…