Starbucks Introduces New Eco-Friendly Cups to Tackle Plastic Waste Issue

Starbucks has seen a surge in the sales of cold drinks, but this has led to an increase in plastic waste from single-use cups. The company has revealed its plan to address this issue by launching new disposable cups that contain up to 20% less plastic. These cups will be introduced in stores across the U.S. and Canada starting this month.

Amelia Landers, Starbucks’ vice president of product innovation, disclosed that the development of the new containers took four years. Engineers tested numerous iterations to determine the amount of plastic that could be removed while maintaining the cup's sturdiness. Landers expressed her confidence in the product, stating that it represents a significant step forward in the industry.

Impact on Plastic Waste

As per Starbucks, cold drinks, including Frappuccinos, now constitute 75% of its beverage sales in the U.S., a substantial increase from 37% in 2013. The introduction of the new cups is expected to prevent more than 13.5 million pounds of plastic from ending up in landfills each year. In addition, the production process for these cups will consume less water and result in fewer carbon emissions, contributing to the fight against climate change.

Redesign Features

Aside from the reduction in plastic use, Starbucks has incorporated other changes in the redesign. The new cold cups have raised dots near the bottom, allowing baristas, including those with impaired vision, to quickly identify the cup size. Furthermore, the 12-ounce cup, known as the “tall” size, has been modified to be shorter and wider, accommodating the same-size lid as the larger cups.

Starbucks continues to make strides in sustainability, having previously adopted strawless lids in 2019 and allowed customer-provided cups for drive-thru and mobile orders in the U.S. and Canada. The company is also set to initiate a reusable cup program in numerous stores across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa by next year. Under this program, customers will pay a small deposit for a specially designed cup that can be reused up to 30 times, receiving the deposit back upon returning the cup to a store.

Landers emphasized that Starbucks is committed to assessing new methods and technologies to further enhance the sustainability of their single-use cups, with the long-term goal of making all packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2030.

Industry-wide Efforts

Starbucks is not alone in its endeavors to reduce plastic usage. Other major companies, such as McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, have also taken steps to rethink their plastic packaging, introducing alternatives that are more environmentally friendly.