For a long time, Starbucks' disposable paper cups have been a standard and a symbol, but next, a fee will be charged for using them, and by 2025, disposable cups will be eliminated in favor of requiring customers to buy or rent Starbucks reusable cups and allowing them to bring their own cups to receive coffee.
Folks, would you consider bringing your own cup to Starbucks to get your coffee?
Michael Kobori, the company's chief sustainability officer, said in a statement, "Our cup is everywhere, and we love that. But it's also a symbol of the ubiquity of a disposable society."
Previously, Starbucks was criticized for having cups thrown everywhere. The only way to end these things is to phase out disposable cups, Kobolli said. He said, "Innovation is how we build new chapters, advance our positive impact on the planet and boldly re-imagine our future."
Starbucks has now tested several different pilot programs in the U.S. and abroad, hoping to learn from customer preferences and behaviors.
For example, in Japan, Singapore and London, some stores have adopted the communal cup model (also known as "loaner cups") in addition to providing disposable cups. Meanwhile, 16 other stores in Korea do not offer disposable cups at all, but rather reusable communal cups, individual cups or "for-here" drink cups, the latter for customers who choose to enjoy their drinks in-store, and another "experience store" in Shanghai offers dine-in cups that cannot be taken away.
It's unclear how Starbucks will incentivize customers to adopt the public cup model or whether stores will begin charging deposits for their public cups. In the U.S., however, Starbucks offers certain discounts to customers who bring their own cups, while charging extra for customers who request disposable cups, as is already common in Starbucks stores in the U.K. and Germany.
A Starbucks representative said it is still testing various incentives and disincentives to get customers to participate in its reusable cup program.
It is expected that by 2025, Starbucks will eliminate disposable paper cups and replace them with a new type of cup that will be reusable and that customers can keep for themselves after they finish their coffee and bring it over to get their coffee the next time they go to Starbucks. We have developed a new cup that has a very low environmental impact, uses lightweight polypropylene, is ultimately recyclable and can replace 100 disposable cups." Amelia Landers, vice president of product experience at Starbucks, said during a presentation on the Seattle test program.
