*By Justin Chermol*
Starbucks announced plans on Monday to elimate the use of plastic straws by 2020, making it the largest company yet to undertake the green initiative.
The coffee chain will transition to new lids which feature a raised lip to drink from, a design already being used for some of the company’s cold brew drinks. The new lids will begin rolling out this fall in Canada as well as in Starbucks’ home city of Seattle. For those customers who insist on straws, the company will offer eco-friendly versions made of paper or compostable plastic.
Starbucks stated this policy will cut the number of plastic straws used by one billion per year -- the proliferation of them has contributed to devastating ocean pollution and threatens marine life.
Local governments across the United States initially spearheaded the plastic-strawless movement. Just last week Seattle banned both plastic straws and utensils. Some of America’s largest cities like New York and San Francisco have proposed plans to remove plastic straws as well.
JetBlue says it will end a partnership with American Airlines in the Northeast after losing a court fight over the deal, and will instead focus on salvaging its proposed purchase of Spirit Airlines.
Meta has unveiled an app called Threads to rival Twitter, targeting users looking for an alternative to the social media platform owned — and frequently changed — by Elon Musk.
Contract negotiations between UPS and the union representing 340,000 of the company's workers broke down early Wednesday with each side blaming the other for walking away from talks.
Meta is poised to launch a new app that appears to mimic Twitter, marking a direct challenge to the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk.
