Starbucks Japan to Fully Replace Straws with Bio-Based Plastic by 2025

On December 6, Starbucks Coffee Japan officially announced that starting January 2025, the material for straws offered in stores will be changed from paper to bio-based plastic. This move marks a shift after five years since the company fully switched to paper straws in 2020, aiming to enhance customer drinking experience while helping to reduce waste, thus improving customer satisfaction and environmental sustainability.

The first batch of bio-plastic straws will be introduced on January 23, 2025, in 32 stores in Okinawa, with plans to roll out to approximately 2,000 stores nationwide after March. The new straws will first replace the 6mm diameter straws used for regular beverages such as iced coffee and Frappuccinos, and the transition for the 10mm diameter straws used for seasonal Frappuccinos is expected to be completed by April.

The bio-plastic straws will use Kaneka's Green Planet® bio-plastic, primarily made from plant oils, achieving up to 99% biobased content. Compared to paper straws, the new straws are lighter and are expected to reduce waste generated in stores by about 50%. This bio-plastic can decompose into inorganic substances under microbial action in seawater or soil, minimizing environmental impact.

Starbucks switched from petroleum-based plastic straws to paper straws in January 2020, but due to customer feedback regarding issues such as "softening over time" and "impacting beverage flavor," the company decided to switch to bio-plastic straws. The new straws are less likely to soften when in contact with liquids, significantly improving user experience while maintaining the beverage's original flavor.

Starbucks CEO Takafumi Mizuguchi stated: "We have listened carefully to our customers' feedback on their drinking experience and conducted in-depth research and improvements. In the future, we will continue to accelerate our business activities related to sustainability."