Starbucks to distribute billions of little plastic sticks

In an attempt to protect on-the-go caffeinistas from the drops of coffee that tend to spurt out of the hole in the lids of their cups, Seattle-based coffee behemoth Starbucks has announced that they will be redesigning their lids including a little plastic stick with each beverage.

USAToday reports the "splash sticks" -- green, mermaid-shaped plugs that snap into the hole on the lid -- will be rolled out nationally this week. The idea for the little plastic sticks, which are the perfect size for choking an albatross, came from a customer suggestion at Mystarbucksidea.com, the company's new social-networking site that allows users to collaboratively generate ideas for befouling the planet.

On the company's official blog, the announcement of the little plastic stick's debut came with a suggestion that they be washed and reused, "to help minimize waste".