[OPINIONATED] The Effectiveness Of Food Chains Transition Towards Eco-Friendly Materials

Are food chains' efforts toward the change to biodegradable and environment-friendly utensils actually effective in preventing and reducing plastic pollution?

By: Michelle Chicas

With growing concerns over the environment, it is no surprise that food chains are being pressured to resort to environment-friendly and biodegradable utensils. The idea of using environmentally friendly materials seems like a great idea to reduce pollution, but how effective are they actually in helping the environment? Turns out they might not be as effective as we think they might be.

Starbucks, a large American coffeehouse chain popularly known around the world, has recently introduced paper cups for their beverages in certain parts of the world intending to permanently integrate them into their stores. Back in 2018, Starbucks announced their removal of plastic straws and would be fully transitioning to paper straws by 2020. Despite their efforts towards becoming greener and helping the environment, it is doing the opposite effect. Using paper alternatives as a resolution is actually harming the environment even more and can put our health at risk. Starbucks has around 38,000 stores worldwide. Considering the amount of stores and people they serve, production of these paper utensils is high. The process behind making these paper straws and cups requires using a large amount of trees in order to make them. Around 8,000 paper cups are used per minute at stores, so considering the amount of paper cups being used at this rate, it can add up to more than four billion cups a year. This ultimately results in 1.6 million trees being harvested every year. That being said, every tree that is being harvested for the use of these cups and straws instead of just planting them contributes to more gas emissions to the atmosphere as trees and plants are beneficial for the environment as they reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and other pollutants and gasses in the air and also provides a habitat for animals. Not to mention, Starbucks paper cups might not be as disposable or recyclable as they claim to be.

A 2023 study determined that the paper cups that Starbucks uses can be just as toxic as plastic when thrown away and this is mainly due to the material used in them, which is a plastic lining. The plastic lining is called Polyethylene (LDPE) which is a type of plastic commonly used in plastic water bottles, plastic bags, etc. The lining is used to prevent the cups from breaking down since just using full paper for the cups won’t make it durable or sustainable and the liquid would just seep through the cup. Because Starbucks cups are made with a plastic lining it means that almost a majority of these cups are not recyclable and end up being thrown in landfills and not recycled whatsoever making Starbucks’s effort to be green useless. Not to mention the liquid in the cups can absorb the microplastics from the plastic lining and taking this into account, it exposes the environment, ecosystems, and humans to microplastics. We can easily ingest microplastics into our system due to the foods we eat and what we use. According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, single-use cups when reaching a certain high temperature can release microplastics. There is a rising concern to the amount of microplastics humans are being exposed to. The Association of American Medical Colleges finds that microplastics have been found in fruits and vegetables, plastic water bottles, the air, makeup, and even dust. Researchers are claiming to find microplastics in almost every part of the human body such as in the heart, liver, and kidneys. The exposure to these microplastics can put humans at risk for many health problems and imposes the risks of strokes and heart attacks therefore emphasizing the risks and consequences that come with using things with plastic which expresses the urgency to limit the use of plastic. According to CleanWater.org, there will be more plastic than fish in 2050 and animals such as birds, turtles, and fish are accidentally consuming these plastics, which are making their way into our food systems with unknown but possibly harmful effects on people and marine life.

Starbucks is not the only food chain that has switched to environment-friendly alternatives. Food Chains such McDonalds, Chick-Fil-A, Dunkin Donuts, and many others are implementing small changes towards becoming more “eco-friendly” but it is evident that using alternatives such as paper is not effective and despite this a majority of leading fast food chains still also heavily rely on plastic and many of them still use plastic currently. So what can we do? There are many things that we can do to help reduce the amount of pollution made and help the environment. For starters instead of using single-use cups try switching to reusable cups made out of materials such as metal or glass so that next time when you walk to your local coffee shop, you bring your own cup to limit the use of plastic and paper cups. Also try to limit the amount of plastic you use and recycle more often. Make a recycle bin at home and set up recycling units in your neighborhood or community. Local measures can also be taken to promote environmental awareness, feel free to send an email or letter to your state representative about your concerns and worries. You can also donate to charities and organizations that help advocate and promote environmental awareness.

It’s important that we take any measures we can to help our environment. We are the main causes of pollution due to human activity like driving cars, buses, trucks, burning fossil fuels, plastic use, deforestation, and many more. It's essential that we take every step we can even if it's little to make our environment a better place to live in not just for us but also for the life that surrounds us. With each passing day, so many problems persist within the environment but by taking accountability and pushing and advocating for environment awareness together we can change that and change the future outcomes of environment issues.


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