*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.
In this photo illustration, a silhouetted woman holds a smartphone with the Neuralink logo displayed on the screen. (Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Character design studio Superplastic recently raised $20 million in a Series A round. Paul Budnitz, founder and CEO of Superplastic, joined Cheddar News to discuss the financing and a new collaboration with Amazon to develop a new series.
About 45% of American households invest in REITs. Jeremy Pagan, research analyst with Morningstar Inc., joined Cheddar News to explain the pros and cons of investing in REITs.
A Republican-led House panel voted to advance a bill that would give President Joe Biden the power to ban TikTok. Chris Pierson, the founder and CEO of BlackCloak, joined Cheddar News to discuss how the process could affect other businesses.
Ahmed Riesgo, chief investment officer for financial services company Insigneo, told Cheddar News that, "the U.S. economy should be okay" for the next six months.
