Starbucks has announced plans to dispose of plastic straws in its stores around the world.

The coffee chain today confirmed single-use plastic straws will be removed from more than 28,000 stores globally by 2020.

It's the latest company to announce changes in a bid to cut down on the threat of plastic to the environment and our oceans, with traditional straws a particular target as they are not recyclable.

According to Starbucks, the move is aimed at removing more than a billion straws from its stores.

Instead of straws, the company's iced drinks will instead by served in cups with a strawless lid.

Starbuck's Irish site says its cold cups are already "fully recyclable".

Straws made from 'alternative materials' such as paper or compostable plastic for certain products, or by request for customers who 'prefer or need' a straw.

In a statement, CEO Kevin Johnson said: "For our partners and customers, this is a significant milestone to achieve our global aspiration of sustainable coffee, served to our customers in more sustainable ways.

The strawless lids will first be introduced in Seattle and Vancouver, before being rolled out fully across the US and Canada.

Europe will follow, initially in France, the Netherlands and the UK.

Starbucks says it has already committeed $10 million to develop a 'fully recyclable and compostable' coffee cup.

Numerous coffee and beverage companies have already made moves towards introducing more sustainable cups or straws in Ireland - including the likes of Insomnia, Bewley's, SuperValu and Centra.