Starbucks replacing plastic straws with new drinking lid

July 9 (UPI) -- Coffee giant Starbucks said Monday it will eliminate plastic drinking straws over the next two years and replace them with a specially-designed lid for cold drinks.

The recyclable lids are already in use in about 8,000 Starbucks locations in the United States and Canada, the company said.

The brewer is phasing out plastic, one-time-use straws, because of material waste and danger to aquatic sea life they can cause.

"Starbucks has designed, developed and manufactured a strawless lid, which will become the standard for all iced coffee, tea and espresso beverages," the company said.

Starbucks said the conversion will be complete by 2020. Straws, though, will still be available -- made from paper or compostable plastic.

The company said new lids will be rolled out at locations in North America this year and next, followed by Europe and the rest of the world.

The effort to reduce waste is part of a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund's Cascading Materials Vision program, the statement said.