The popular coffee house has introduced straws made of an eco-friendly 'green' material known as bio-plast, now only available with certain drinks or by request – as opposed to being added to all customer condiment units as standard.
Made from a thermoplastic material that primarily contains biologically-sourced raw materials, the bio-plast straws are fully eco-certified, as well completely biodegradable and compostable.
The environmentally-focused change comes as Costa Malta seeks to cut the amount of avoidable plastic waste it generates.
"We estimate that, by making these changes at Costa, we will save the environment from having to accommodate between 350,000 and 400,000 single-use plastic straws every year. That's huge," said Christina Galea, Costa Malta general manager.
The Costa Foundation aims to improve the lives of children in coffee-growing communities by ensuring safe, quality education, with a long-term goal of eradicating poverty in these communities.