Starting this year, fans of Starbucks in Vietnam can join in the country’s anti-plastic movement.
A few days ago, Starbucks Vietnam announced on its official Facebook page that from January 1, 2019, the franchise will minimize usage of plastic straws and other single-use plastic items in all of its locations.
According to the post, local Starbucks stores will begin replacing single-use plastic items with biodegradable alternatives, such as paper or compostable plastic. This applies to straws, forks and spoons, among other products. Even then, straws will only be available upon request, or for drinks that need them like frappucinos.
Additionally, the brand will also introduce a new straw-less lid for beverages served with ice, which will eventually become the standard for all iced coffee, tea and espresso drinks. Customers can also go one step further in curbing plastic use by bringing their own cup or bottle for a VND10,000 discount, applicable for Starbucks bottles or otherwise, a Starbucks representative confirmed in a comment on the post.
The announcement was in line with a previous worldwide initiative that Starbucks started in July last year in which the company would remove single-use plastic straws from over 28,000 outlets around the globe. At the time, the straw-less lids were only available in the United States and Canada, but were also being piloted in China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, according to a press release on the company’s website.
Vietnam is among the world's worst polluters when it comes to plastic use. However, in recent months, local brands, non-profit entities and millennials have started to become more environmentally conscious by slowly removing single-use plastic items from their business models and daily consumption, starting with straws.
In big metropolises like Saigon and Hanoi, many coffee shops and restaurants are now offering straws made from glass, metal, bamboo or even grass stalks, while cup holders made from canvas or cloth are also gaining favor among urbanites.
[Photo via Facebook page Starbucks Vietnam]
