Starbucks introduces new plant-based, biodegradable Green Planet® straws in Japan

Starbucks today launched a new biodegradable, plant-based straw in its stores in Japan, another important move that supports the company’s environmental pledge to increase resource efficiency and reduce waste by 2030.

The new straws are made from Green Planet®, a biodegradable, plant-based biopolymer. Based primarily on vegetable oils rather than petroleum, the new straws naturally break down into carbon dioxide and water by microorganisms living in seawater and soil. This reduces the problem of marine pollution from plastic waste, including microplastics. Throughout their lifecycle, Green Planet straws produce less carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than Starbucks’ current FSC®-certified paper straws, and are half the weight of straws discarded from Starbucks stores.

This innovation comes as Starbucks offers its revel in one cup and one shop at a time in any respect shops throughout Japan each day. The business enterprise advanced those new straws with precious enter from Partners and Customers to stability environmental effect with person revel in. Strength, durability and a clean sense have been the front and middle of their design, in conjunction with keeping the enduring Starbucks green color.

Green Planet® straws are presently in 32 Starbucks shops in Okinawa Prefecture for clients who buy iced drinks, which includes a Frappuccino®. They may be to be had in all Starbucks places throughout Japan beginning in March 2025. This may be observed via way of means of the release of a thicker straw for seasonal Frappuccino® drinks in all Japan shops via way of means of early April 2025.

Starbucks started its transition from oil-derived plastic straw for iced liquids in 2018 to release FSC® licensed paper straws at its shops in Japan in 2020 and a thicker straw added in 2021. To similarly lessen waste, Starbucks released FSC® licensed paper cups and cutlery crafted from biomass materials for to-cross orders and started serving iced liquids in resin cups for clients to experience in save.

Starbucks is accelerating efforts in Japan to in aid of the company`s environmental promise. There at the moment are almost two hundred places licensed as a “Greener Store” green retail save. And approximately 900 places recycle espresso grounds, getting rid of one in every of the most important meals wastes every save produces.