Single use plastics seems to have become something no one wants to be associated with (except condom manufacturers we suppose). Plastic bags have come under scrutiny, and so too have plastic straws, with reusable straws on the market for the environmentally conscious.

Now Starbucks has jumped on board the bandwagon, set to ban all plastic straws in its 28 000 stores worldwide by 2020. This will save a massive one billion straws going to dumps per year.

What will these be replaced with? The company has come up with a strawless lid, albeit, still made of plastic. Yes, we know, but Starbucks notes the new lid has a polypropylene content that can be widely recycled, which is not the case with straws.

The lid is already in use in some shops in the US and Canada, although currently for only a few cold drinks. It will become the standard for all iced drinks except Frappuccino, which will be served with a straw made from paper or PLA compostable plastic. Starbucks notes that customers who prefer or need a straw can ask for one made of alternative materials.

In some ways, SA is ahead in this fight against plastic straws. The Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town has already banned all plastic straws from kiosks operating inside the establishment, while Ocean Basket will not provide plastic straws with drinks, nor plastic bags for take-aways.