Starbucks to switch to compostable and recyclable packaging in India by June

Local arm of American coffee chain Starbucks said that it will move to compostable and recyclable packaging solutions across its 138 stores in India by June 2019 as part of the coffee chain’s global plans to switch to sustainable packaging offerings in stores.

"Since 2012, Tata Starbucks Ltd, (the local joint venture partner for Starbucks in India), has been working to eliminate the use of single-use plastic across its stores," the company said in a statement. However, by June 05, that marks World Environment Day, Starbucks in India will fully switch to more environmental-friendly packaging.

"We are proud to be the first in the industry to be adopting all recyclable and compostable packaging solutions across our stores in India to further innovate the Starbucks Experience for our customers,” Navin Gurnaney, CEO, Tata Starbucks said.

Global outcry over heavy usage of plastic products such as straws, and cups that end up in landfills has prompted food chains such as Starbucks to slowly do away with such non-recyclable products in their stores. In 2018, the Seattle-headquartered coffee chain said it will eliminate all plastic straws from its stores by 202o. The company then said it will switch to straws made from materials other than plastic and even use cups that don’t necessarily need straws.

The company’s efforts closer home come as India’s Prime Minister Narendera Modi last year announced that the country will move to ban all single-use plastic including plastic bags, bottles etc by 2022.

At Starbucks in India consumers will now be offered compostable straws, lids, take-away cups, wooden cutlery and stirrers, and even carry bags and napkins from recycled paper—something that Starbucks already offers in some of its stores here.

It will also partner with local companies to recycle the waste generated in-stores here, the company added in the statement.