Starbucks Is Giving Its Plastic Cups a Makeover

Starbucks has announced an environmentally friendly redesign of its plastic cups for all sizes of cold drinks, using up to 20% less plastic compared to the current version. This is part of the company’s sustainability efforts to reduce waste and carbon output in half by 2030. The new cups will debut at select US and Canada locations this year, with the full rollout expected to be complete by spring 2025.

Starbucks projects that the new cups will save over 13.5 million pounds of plastic going to landfills annually and reduce emissions and conserve water in the production process. Tests with baristas and customers were conducted to ensure the changeover did not reduce the cups’ sturdiness or ability to keep drinks cold. New accessibility features, including black and white “fill lines,” have been added. Tall, grande, and venti cups now use the same-sized lid, which will cut down on clutter and save time finding the correct lid. Starbucks also added embossed letters on the bottom of the cup to help baristas quickly confirm what size they’re grabbing during busy rushes.

Sustainability struggles have long been a major issue for Starbucks, with the chain expanding the way customers can have their drinks filled with their own cups by adding options for drive-thru and app orders. Other sustainable ideas include experimenting with a borrow-a-cup program, where customers pay a deposit for a durable cup they take with them and drop back off after use. However, Emma Priestland, global corporate campaigns coordinator for Break Free from Plastic, suggests that Starbucks develop reusable and returnable on-the-go cups to help them fully achieve their sustainability goals.

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