Straw Swaps and Branded Reusables: How One Café Pair Cut Waste

Months before a citywide prohibition took effect that July, Backlot Coffee had already removed unrecyclable plastic straws from its two Illinois cafés, in Chicago and Evanston.

Isaac Bloom, who launched Backlot in 2016 alongside business partner John Kim, credits patrons for the push. Customers told the team they wanted to see the shops do better, he recalled, and the response was essentially: you're right, we should.

Beginning on Earth Day 2018, the cafés swapped standard plastic straws for paper and PLA (a biodegradable plastic) versions for takeaway orders. Dine-in guests began receiving stainless steel straws, and the company also started sending all coffee grounds and compostable serving items to Collective Resource, a commercial composting operation based in Evanston, Illinois. Bloom puts the diversion at roughly 2,000 pounds of waste kept out of landfills each month.

At the same time, Backlot stepped up promotion of its branded mugs, glassware, and Hydro Flasks, selling them at cost while the eco-friendly campaign launched. The cafés also introduced an ongoing per-cup discount for anyone bringing a reusable container, with a larger break for those using the shop's own branded ware.

Paper straws go to to-go customers who ask for one—ideally, in one of Backlot's brand-new branded, reusable mugs.

"If you bring in one of our large Hydro Flasks, we charge you for a small size," Bloom said. "We are seeing a ton of them now every day. It basically pays for itself in a matter of months, and from that point forward it's like a reward program for our regular customers, without having a punch card."

Bloom stopped short of eliminating straws entirely. Some guests still prefer them, and others genuinely require one. So he researched alternatives, manufacturers, and suppliers online. He ordered samples and tried them out with hot and cold drinks, asking his staff and customers for their feedback.

Options for Hot Drinks

Paper straws, Bloom discovered, have a tendency to disintegrate in lattes and other hot beverages, so he chose PLA straws instead—made from a compostable polymer derived from corn. Backlot has likewise moved to recyclable or compostable to-go cups and lids, plus compostable paper bags and utensils.

The most popular choice of all, though, is the stainless steel straw Backlot now provides for dine-in service. "Those have been the biggest hit—so much so that people have asked if they can buy them from us," Bloom said. "So now we're looking at making custom-branded stainless straws to sell as well. That's been a surprise we didn't see coming."

Keeping the reusable steel straws clean has not proved overly taxing. "They come with a little brush which goes into the straws, so we scrub them out on both ends with soap and water, rinse them, and soak them in sanitizer. It's an extra step, but it's not that difficult," Bloom said.

"For businesses, it's an easy decision to make—it's a small change that can have a big impact," Bloom said.