Starbucks is rolling out new plastic cups this month. Here's why.
Starbucks fans may not notice a huge difference when they pick up their favorite cold drink – but those plastic cups will soon be changing.
The coffee chain has announced the rollout of new disposable cold cups with up to 20% less plastic, the latest in a handful of initiatives to go greener.
Starbucks announced the redesign this week, saying the rollout will soon begin in Canada and the U.S. The new tall, grande, venti and trenta-sized cups will use 10-20% less plastic than the previous cold cups, said the chain.
The cups also feature a few more new design elements, including raised dots and letters embossed on the bottom to allow baristas and customers with low vision to identify sizes by touch.
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Three cold cup sizes will also have one universal lid that fits them all. Previously, the grande and venti cups shared the same lid but the tall size didn't. By redesigning the 12-ounce cup with a squatter profile and wider mouth, all sizes besides the trenta now share the same lid.
Starbucks looks to go greener as labor board court cases loom
The move is part of Starbucks’s efforts to reduce its waste by 50% by 2030.
The chain recently implemented another cup-related sustainability mission in January, allowing customers in the U.S. and Canada to use reusable cups for orders both in-store and drive-through. Customers who order using a clean, personal cup will receive a $0.10 discount, and if a Starbucks Reward member, collect 25 Bonus Stars.
Starbucks has also certified 6,091 Greener Stores in 2024, according to a company press release.
These initiatives come as Starbucks continues to draw controversy around its labor practices and alleged union-busting behavior. Currently, Starbucks is one of several companies pushing against what they call the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) "aggressive anti-employer agenda.”
Starbucks is set to argue before the Supreme Court in the case of Starbucks v. McKinney on April 23 in a bid against the NLRB's use of injunctions in past proceedings, saying it is "asking the Supreme Court to level the playing field for all U.S. employers by ensuring that a single, correct standard is applied before federal district courts grant the NLRB extraordinary injunctions in the future."
