New Straws Being Rolled Out At Dunkin’ in Massachusetts

I grabbed an iced coffee at a Dunkin' location in Somerville, MA recently and noticed the straw looked and felt a little different. Some Dunkin' locations across Massachusetts are now handing out agave straws, and yes, they are exactly what they sound like.

Agave straws are made from the fibers of the agave plant, the same spiky desert plant used to make tequila. Instead of ending up in a landfill or washing into a waterway, these straws break down naturally. They are fully compostable and marine biodegradable, meaning even if one ends up in the ocean, it will not stick around for centuries the way a plastic straw will.

Can we talk about Dunkins new agave straws? First of all, I love the eco-friendly side of this. Second, they look like they have specks of mold in them, and are definitely unappealing if you don't know that they're supposed to look like that (me... I'm the one who didn't know they're supposed to look like that. A quick Google search helped calm my fears of the straw, but still a really strange thing to put out without any kind of info or heads up) -Facebook group post from "Dunkin World"

Dunkin' has been quietly rolling out the straws at select locations as part of a broader push to swap out single-use plastic packaging. The Canton, Massachusetts-based chain has been testing eco-friendly straw options for a few years now, and agave straws are the latest option in that lineup. The straws are manufactured by a company called REP THE US, which specializes in plant-based alternatives to plastic. -reptheus.com

Not every Dunkin' in the state has made the switch yet. The rollout is happening gradually at select stores, so your location may or may not have them yet depending on where you go.

Today is Earth Day, which feels like a fitting time to talk about it. Earth Day has been celebrated every April 22nd since 1970, and it serves as a reminder that small changes add up. Swapping one plastic straw for a plant-based one is not going to save the planet by itself, but when you are a chain with thousands of locations serving millions of cups a day, it starts to matter.