Starbucks India Follows The Global Trend & Ditches Plastic

ICYMI, Starbucks recently announced that they would be phasing out the use of plastic straws completely, worldwide by 2020. And now, Starbucks India is following suit and is one of the few places worldwide that have moved away from plastic straws and towards more environmentally-friendly cutlery.

Tata Starbucks chief executive Sumitro Ghosh said, “We have introduced biodegradable compostable straws and wooden cutlery. We are constantly working towards greener alternatives.” Even the government in certain states has cracked down on the use of plastic citing concerns over the impact of plastic waste on the environment.

Speaking to ET, Ghosh said, that while the change impacted the economics a bit and involved an initial cost, that would be offset by the volume used. “We are trying to be ahead of the curve on the environment. It’s important to our customers and important to us. This is happening across the world now but India is one of the first,” Ghosh said.

Paper bags, glassware or ceramic options for items consumed in-store, and options such as “bring your own tumbler” where it incentivizes customers who got their own tumblers for a beverage to the store, are some of the measures Starbucks is taking, the company said.

After six years of being in the subcontinent, we’re sure glad that Starbucks is taking this environmentally-friendly step!