Climate change is a topic that can seem too big for any one person to do anything about. It’s not true, of course, but it can feel that way. Perhaps this is why people have rallied against plastic straws this year. After all, plastic straws are EVERYWHERE. They’re so ubiquitous, they’re free. An enormous container of them can be found next to the soda machine at any fast food place and waitstaff at casual restaurants carry paper wrapped straws in their aprons and drop them on dining tables for each guest seemingly without thought. Even if you didn’t want one, or had no intention of using a straw, it’s in front of you before you could have a moment to object, so sure is the world that everyone needs a straw for their drink as much as a fork for their meal.
The goal of banning plastic straws, as we all know, is to keep them from polluting our environment, as plastic is known to sit in landfills for a century or more, and often finds its way into rivers, lakes, and oceans. It feels noble to switch to replacement straws such as paper, bamboo, or some other “non plastic” material. The somewhat less enjoyable drinking experience will be learning curve – let’s be honest, plastic straws are very good at their job. We feel good for making an ecological choice and for the trend in society toward (finally) paying attention to our planet.
But as someone who has seen millions of tons of what Americans dispose of, I can tell you that it’s just a vanity project. Banning plastic straws won’t make a difference. What good is a paper straw in a plastic cup? The cup is made from far more plastic material than the straw. And paper cups with wax coating to keep them from getting soggy can’t be recycled, so those are tree-killing trash too, though at least it will decompose eventually. Styrofoam is the worst choice of all since it can neither be recycled nor will decompose in your great-grandchildren’s lifetime.
Coffee chains are major contributors to the pollution problem. Our convenience lifestyle has normalized the idea that we can waltz into any store empty-handed to buy a beverage that will be supplied in a waxed paper, plastic, or Styrofoam cup, and 20 minutes later, dispose of that cup. “Throw it away” we say – as if “away” were a place. Or, naively think it will be recycled (there are many reasons why that’s FAR less likely that you’re hoping for.)
Seeing the consumer trend against plastic straws, coffee shops have started to make changes.
One large coffee chain just made a big announcement that they will no longer be “doubling up” on cups, whereby they place a Styrofoam cup over a plastic cup, to keep the cups from sweating and the customers hands from getting cold. This should have never been allowed in the first place. Double the waste, and you are now selling your product in a one-time use container that, because of the plastic / Styrofoam mix, are guaranteed not to be recycled.
If coffee chains actually want to make a real difference, they will STOP selling products in one-time use cups. That’s it. Don’t even have paper, plastic, or Styrofoam cups available. Refuse to sell your coffee unless the customer is staying in the store to enjoy the beverage in a ceramic mug or has their own reusable mug to take with them. If not, they would need to buy one. Sure, this will “piss off” a lot of customers, but if companies REALLY want to make an impact, and put our environment above your profits, then they need to take a stand and make a difference.
I actually think they’d be surprised at the positive reaction and loyal following it would generate, and the long-term positive impact it could have on their business. The coffee chain that sells $5 lattes is the one with the customer-base most likely to find this appealing. It’s like the “Fair Trade” movement they’ve started with the growers. A marketing campaign that announced the date it would no longer provide cups, and the number of trees and tons of waste that would be saved, would be a differentiator to end all differentiators in the marketplace. Customers would begin to keep a travel mug in their car or in their office. Mug washing stations could be created in the stores so that people who used their mug recently and had not had a chance to clean it could do so before placing their orders.
And here’s a suggestion. Don’t implement this in 2024, as most of these announced “changes” are pushed to some future date. Do it in 2020. Make a difference. Prove that you support cleaning up our environment now, and not by merely eliminating the smallest and most insignificant byproduct you provide – plastic straws.
As for consumers, anyone who thinks paper straws are making a difference needs a reality check. This “feel good” movement isn’t putting a dent in climate change unless it is used as a launching point for something meaningful. Companies took notice when people rejected straws; tell companies what you want them to do next by rejecting disposable cups.
Can one person make a difference? You sure can. Want to make a bigger difference? Make a change and get companies to change others with you. If you want to know how you can make a difference in your community or business, contact us today!