Company officials said Tuesday that Starbucks’ ubiquitous green and white cups may be a thing of the past as the coffee chain plans to force people to bring their own cups.
The Seattle-based chain says it aims to “create a cultural movement for reusable drinks” by 2025 by encouraging people to buy drinks in reusable containers rather than disposable paper and plastic cups.
Starbucks customers will be able to use their reusable cups at every Starbucks store in the US and Canada, whether they order a plain coffee or a thin latte with extra foam and a dash of syrup.
Starbucks has said it is considering several programs “moving away from single-use plastic” in the coming years. Starbucks Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Kobori said the transition is part of an effort to become a “resource-driven company.”
“This commitment included setting ambitious targets by 2030 to cut carbon, water and waste emissions in half,” Kobori said in a statement.
Stores in Japan, Singapore and London are testing a “borrow a cup” service in which customers order drinks in cups to be returned to Starbucks, professionally cleaned and reused by other customers. Each customer pays a $1 deposit, which is refundable upon return of the cup.
Some Starbucks stores will have their own cup washing stations. Joshua Trujillo/Starbucks
Starbucks is also running a pilot program in South Korea in which participating stores are moving to “100% reusable operating models” where disposable cups are “completely eliminated.”
Other initiatives include the introduction of “cup washing stations” for personal cups, which are being tested at cafes on the campus of Arizona State University and at select stores in Hawaii.
The company is also considering additional discounts and fees for US customers depending on their participation. Starbucks already offers a 10-cent discount on orders served in a personalized glass since the 1980s.
The tests include a 50-cent discount for customers who use reusable cups and a 10-cent commission for those who receive drinks in disposable containers.
Starbucks is pushing customers to switch to reusable cups. Joshua Trujillo/Starbucks
In the recent past, Starbucks has experimented with reusable cups. For the past few years, the coffee chain has been giving away a reusable version of its red celebratory cup in limited quantities.
Sustainability initiative gains momentum as Starbucks grapples with headwinds impacting its business: A growing but still small number of Starbucks stores across the country have begun organizing in recent weeks as the Buffalo location became the first in company history to set up unions. The push sometimes led to heated arguments between corporate officials and union leaders.
Starbucks is also experiencing the impact of inflation – with higher operating costs and fierce competition for workers. The company plans to raise prices in 2022 to offset some of those costs.