As Starbucks begins to encourage multi-use cups for on-the-go orders, paper cups may soon go the way of plastic bags and single-use water bottles.
Starbucks customers who zip through drive-throughs or pick up mobile orders are used to baristas handing over their beverages in the coffee chain’s signature single-use cups. Now, change is coming. Disposable cups aren’t going away, but consumers in the US and Canada will now be able to bring their favourite reusable cups for on-the-go drink runs.
The programme, which was tested across in select stores across Europe and Asia, is already in effect, as of 3 January. Starbucks says the initiative is part of their commitment to reduce waste by 50% as of 2030.
The idea that consumers can bring in their own cups isn’t new, especially across independent coffee shops, which encourage their customers to use personal cups. However, due to Starbucks’s high profile, and the sheer number of store locations throughout the US and Canada, the company’s announcement could provide more momentum to push along the adoption of reusable cups.
However, the beginning of the road could be rocky, says Bryan Bollinger, an associate professor of marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
For one, the environmental impact of paper-cup waste is simply not as high-profile as the impact of plastic bags. Consumers are increasingly aware of the damage that single-use plastic has on the ecosystem, including the dire effects on marine life. However, research shows that paper cups are also environmental hazards, largely due to a plastic lining that needs to be removed before recycling. (Indeed, consumers who are already sustainability-minded are likely already using their own cups, says Bollinger.)
– https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240109-will-reusable-cups-become-as-common-as-grocery-totes