BY ANGELINA DINOTA
Assistant PR Editor
Why take away something that has been being used in society for so many years? Straws have become a part of so many people’s everyday lives, and a change to that is kind of weird. Actually, scratch that: it is very weird. Some may say, “Why tilt your head to sip with a lid when you can just sip on the straw?” or “Why worry about the plastic being used for the straw when you still using plastic to create the new look to the lid?”
Outtakes is not even a real Starbucks. I do not believe that they should have to follow all of the guidelines that are implemented at a real Starbucks establishment. Just because all of the Starbucks cafes do it, does it really mean we need to too?
Think about it this way. Some people walk into Outtakes just looking for a straw. (At least I know my friends and I do, it’s a secret little hack to not having to buy them at the grocery store) The concept of the lid itself is what is throwing people off, or at least that’s what it’s doing to me. There are so many other things in this world that we need to worry about other than whether avid Starbucks customers are drinking from a lid or a straw.
How about the possibility of the lid not being properly put on the cup, and then the coffee or beverage spilling all over you? How about that? You ever think of it like that? The new lid takes away from the classic look of Starbucks. Every company brands itself with a variety of iconic aspect. Starbucks branded itself with this green straw and clear plastic cup with their green logo right smack in the middle, and everyone knows the company by this cup design. Now the company is trying to rebrand itself as more eco-friendly.
I got a Passion Fruit Lemonade from Outtakes the other day, and I couldn’t help but notice the very annoying lid. I hated the appearance of it. (Maybe I just hated it because it’s not what I’m use to ,or because I’m an advertising and public relations major, and bad branding is a topic that irks me . . . but whatever.) I also hated the fact the ice in my drink was hitting my lip. This sounds silly, and it might just sound like me complaining to you at this point, but it’s the truth. Who would want the taste of water interfering with the taste of the drink they ordered? Certainly not me, that’s for sure!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get that the company itself is trying to save the ecosystem, but how about their unhappy customers? Aren’t their first priorities supposed to be catering to their loyal customers? I promise, I’m not the only one that’s complaining about this topic. No offense to them as a company or anything, but taking away the use of straws really won’t do too much. They’re still using plastic cups and plastic lids. What about that? Will they ever change that? I know as I walk down the hallways of the main academic building or Martire, I see people throwing their Starbucks cups right into the trash opposed to the recycling bin, which just so happens to be located right next to the trash. How about focusing on educating the people about the topic first, before they go and change something that they know some of their customers are not too pleased with.
If you couldn’t tell already, the new Starbucks lids are certainly a big NO from me.
