Global Supply Shortage Causes Starbucks Disposable Cup Scarcity in the US

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] As the global supply shortage continues, the United States is experiencing a scarcity even of disposable cups.

On the 9th (local time), according to the American economic newspaper The Wall Street Journal, a shortage of disposable cups, mainly used by coffee and dining chains, is occurring across the United States.

The WSJ introduced Chelsea Nally (29), who lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, saying she goes to a Starbucks store two blocks away because the 24-ounce (about 710 ml) cup she used to enjoy is sold out. She is currently using a 30-ounce (887 ml) cup.

Starbucks told investors this month that supply chain problems are likely to worsen as time goes on this year. Pretzel chain Wetzel's Pretzels franchisees are working together to obtain cups from suppliers and e-commerce companies like Amazon. They also send group notifications when they secure cups in large quantities somewhere.

In some areas, they are responding to the disposable cup shortage by selling reusable cups such as tumblers and offering discounts on beverage prices. In Baltimore, Maryland, restaurateurs have even formed a kind of 'pumasi' (mutual aid) agreement where they lend disposable cups and other supplies to each other and repay them later.

The supply chain disruption is attributed to disposable cups from China and other regions being stuck at ports, the U.S. paper industry experiencing reduced factory operation rates due to labor shortages, and the production of synthetic resin used for plastic cup manufacturing and paper cup coating being halted last year due to a cold wave in Texas and not yet recovered.

According to U.S. federal data, prices of plastic packaging products in the U.S. have risen 24% compared to a year ago due to labor and raw material shortages.