Starbucks provides "splash sticks," little green plastic sticks that fit into the slot in the lid of their cups, to prevent spillage. Thousands of these splash sticks end up in landfill each day, or if your local drive-through is anything like mine, thrown out of car windows onto the ground by customers who don’t seem to care. These little green plastic sticks get blown by the wind, ending up in drains and ultimately the sea where they get ingested by birds, dolphins and other sea creatures. Scientists have identified seabirds with more than 250 pieces of plastic lodged in their stomachs and the problem is only getting worse.

Let’s ask Starbucks to find an alternative biodegradable material for making their splash sticks, or even better discontinue their use altogether. Surely this is possible for a company which reported net revenues of $24.7 billion in 2018.

Small changes in our use of plastics can make a big difference to our planet!