Goodbye Green Straw, Goodbye Accessibility

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As we all undoubtedly remember, Starbucks came under fire back in April when two black men were arrested for having the audacity to do what countless droves of white people do at Starbucks. That is to hang around and not buy anything. My source? I happen to be a former barista. However disheartening and outrageous that encounter was, the response from Starbucks was a swift apology and mandatory racial training for their employees. Their response was largely praised by those in this field as an example of public relations practiced well.

Unfortunately for Starbucks, they are now finding themselves in a new form of crisis. They recently announced they will be doing away with all plastic straws in the coming years due to environmental concerns surrounding their disposal. According to RecycleBank, our modern plastic straws are made from polypropylene which is itself recyclable, but the small and narrow shape of these straws means only a handful of recycling centers in the United States have the physical capability of recycling them. As a result, most of these end up in landfills and improperly disposed straws can harm wildlife.

What Starbucks seemingly failed to realize is the amazing utility of straws for those with a myriad of disabilities, including those recovering from stroke. NPR tells the tale of a man’s son who suffers from motor-planning delays and how they were unable to get a drink for him at the park because the snack bar had a no straw policy. This is certainly a story of unintended consequences and the result of some form of ableism preventing those making decisions from considering how they will impact everyone. Luckily, the aforementioned father and son were able to leave the park they were in to track down a business that provides drinks with straws, but perhaps this won’t always be the case.

Disability rights groups have been fully mobilized to make Starbucks hear how their constituents benefit from the use of straws. On Friday Starbucks indicated they will continue to stock straws at their locations in the event that someone who truly needs one is able to get one.

A study from last year found that almost three quarters of the world’s emissions are coming from just 100 companies. The onus is on large corporations to aid in efforts to repair the environment. For this reason, I do praise Starbucks for their mindset and wanting to do something to improve the world. However, they should have been more upfront about their plans to keep straws around for those who need them when they first announced their plans.

Those with disabilities already face a great deal of challenges in their daily lives and using a straw because that is the only way for them to replenish themselves should not be tacked on as yet another challenge. Having a global mindset is not enough. We must also have a global mindset which takes into account the full scope of the impacts our decisions have on those who have it tougher than we do. The publics we serve are diverse and that is a benefit, not a detriment. When we keep people with any type of disability in our minds when we decide what moves to make or how to communicate, we ensure that we are listening  and responding to as many people as we can.

They deserve our consideration as much as anyone else.