Starbucks Coffee Japan will replace paper straws with biodegradable plastic straws starting this year, following customer complaints.
According to Starbucks Coffee Japan on Jan. 8, the new eco-friendly straws will be introduced in 32 stores in Okinawa and expanded nationwide by March. Thicker straws for frappuccino drinks will be available by early April.
The new straws are made from “Green Planet,” a bio-polymer material developed by the Japanese chemical company Kaneka. This biopolymer, made primarily from plant-based oils, is biodegradable and naturally breaks down into carbon dioxide and water through microorganisms in soil and seawater. While the technology for its development began 30 years ago, commercialization became feasible only recently due to advances in microbial biosynthesis technology.
According to Starbucks Japan, these Green Planet straws produce less CO2 over their lifecycle compared to their current FSC®-certified paper straws. Starbucks Japan transitioned from plastic to paper straws in 2020 but phased them out within five years, responding to consumer complaints about their inconvenience while considering environmental impact. “Based on opinions from customers and partners, we’ve introduced straws that offer improved durability, strength, and smoothness,” the company said.
In contrast, Starbucks Korea is still using paper straws this year. The Ministry of Environment revised the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources in December 2021 to ban the use of disposable paper cups and plastic straws in restaurants, with a grace period set until November 2023. However, due to opposition from small business owners over high costs, the Ministry decided to extend the grace period indefinitely.
As a result, most major coffee chains, fast-food outlets, and bakeries in the country continue to use paper straws. Some criticize biodegradable materials, pointing out that South Korea lacks a a proper system for separating biodegradable products for disposal. These materials are disposed of in regular waste bags and incinerated with general waste, which undermines their environmental benefits of breaking down naturally.
An industry expert noted, “Countries like Switzerland and Italy dispose of biodegradable plastics with food waste to turn them into compost,” adding that “Korea needs the infrastructure to ensure biodegradable plastics can decompose effectively.”
Despite challenges, interest in biodegradable plastics is growing in South Korea. A recent Ministry of Environment report revealed that the carbon emissions from paper straws are over four times higher than those from biodegradable plastic straws when 500 million straws are landfilled.
Global franchises are also increasingly adopting biodegradable materials. Tully’s Coffee Japan has used straws with 25% biomass content since 2019, while PepsiCo in the U.S. has incorporated biodegradable plastics into snack packaging.
In South Korea, bakery chain Tous Les Jours became the first in the industry to introduce straws made from PHA, a bio-based material developed by CJ CheilJedang, in late 2023. PHA, a polymer created by microorganisms that consume plant-derived ingredits, decomposes in industrial and household composting facilities as well as in soil and marine environments. Tous Les Jours combines PHA with PLA, an industrially biodegradable material, to create straws that closely resemble traditional ones in softness and durability. These eco-friendly straws are now used across all company-owned stores and most franchise locations.
