Starbucks has announced plans to phase out the use of plastic straws by 2020 at the request of environmental activists.
“For our partners and customers, this is a significant milestone to achieve our global aspiration of sustainable coffee, served to our customers in more sustainable ways,” Starbucks Chief Executive Kevin Johnson says in a statement shared by Reuters.
The Seattle-based coffee chain will eliminate single-use plastic straws globally at its 28,000 locations. The straws will be replaced by new recyclable strawless lids and alternative material straws.
The move comes after rival McDonald’s Corp. announced plans last month to transition to paper straws at its UK and Ireland restaurants, beginning in September with completion in 2019.
The U.N. Environment Programme estimates that eight million tons of plastic is dumped into the ocean every year.