Greenpeace Launches New Anti-Straw Campaign For Ocean Creatures | 'Trash Isles' Trailer

Starbucks announced in early July that it will eliminate single-use plastic straws from its more than 28,000 company operated and licensed stores by making a strawless lid or alternative-material straw options available, around the world. Starbucks, the largest food and beverage retailer to make such a global commitment, anticipates the move will eliminate more than one billion plastic straws per year from Starbucks stores.

Starbucks has designed, developed and manufactured a strawless lid, which will become the standard for all iced coffee, tea and espresso beverages. The lid is currently available in more than 8,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada for select beverages including Starbucks Draft Nitro and Cold Foam. The lid is also being piloted for Nitro beverages in additional markets including China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In addition, Starbucks will begin offering straws made from alternative materials – including paper or compostable plastic - for Frappuccino® blended beverages, and available by request for customers who prefer or need a straw.

“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,” said Kevin Johnson, president and chief executive officer for Starbucks.

Starbucks is not alone.In September, Burger King UK will use biodegradable straws in its restaurants and in the US, Alaska Airlines is phasing out plastic stirrers and citrus picks. The airline used 22 billion in 2017, operating out of Seattle, the first major city to ban plastic straws and utensils, writes Ad Week. 

Princess Eugenie revealed this week that she is having a 'plastic-free' royal wedding, in keeping with her plastic-free home. More on the princess in another post, but it seems safe to assume that Princess Eugenie approves of the new Greenpeace Canada campaign that illustrates just how harmful plastic straws are to aquatic animals. Created by Rethink in Toronto, the ads address the very common problem of fish, turtles and birds swallowing discarded plastic straws. 

“Don’t suck the life from our oceans” reads each ad. 

Although the campaign is visually focused on straws, Greenpeace Canada is drawing attention to the dire problem of throwaway plastic in general, and especially in our oceans.

Ocean plastic received significant exposure and a Cannes Lions Grand Prix win for “Trash Isles” last month — and its avatar at the moment is straws. Watch the trailer over your next iced coffee.