"Development Took 4 Years"... Starbucks Introduces 'Disposable Cup'

Starting This Month, Used in US and Canada Stores
Increasing Cold Beverage Sales to Address Plastic Issues

Starbucks has developed and introduced a new disposable cup for cold beverages that reduces plastic usage by up to 20%.

Recently, the Associated Press reported that Starbucks has started using new disposable cups with up to 20% less plastic from this month. The new cups will first be used in stores in the United States and Canada. Amelia Landers, Vice President of Product Innovation at Starbucks, said, "It took four years to develop the new disposable cup," adding, "It is an industry-leading product." Engineers who developed the new cup reportedly conducted thousands of repeated tests to determine how much plastic could be reduced while maintaining the cup's durability.

The appearance of the newly developed and introduced disposable plastic cup by Starbucks [Photo by Starbucks, AP Yonhap News]

Starbucks developed the new cup in response to the increasing sales of cold beverages such as Frappuccino, Refreshers, and Cold Brew, which raised concerns about plastic waste from disposable cups used for these drinks. According to Starbucks, the proportion of cold beverage sales in U.S. stores surged from 37% in 2013 to 75% recently. Starbucks expects that using the new disposable cups will reduce plastic landfill waste by more than 6,120 tons (13.5 million pounds) annually.

The new disposable cup also features a redesigned look. Near the bottom of the cup, the sizes Tall, Grande, and Venti are indicated in Braille so that visually impaired baristas and others can quickly identify the cup size. Additionally, the Tall size cup has been made shorter and wider so that it fits the same size lid as the larger cups.

Furthermore, Starbucks plans to introduce a reusable cup program in stores across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa by next year. Customers will pay a deposit when purchasing a beverage and can use the reusable cup up to 30 times. Afterward, they can return the cup to the store to get their deposit refunded. In the long term, Starbucks aims to make all packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2030.

Meanwhile, Starbucks Korea is also implementing various eco-friendly policies. Since February 20, Starbucks Korea has operated a new shopping bag policy, charging 100 KRW for paper shopping bags and 500 KRW for reusable bags, whereas previously shopping bags were provided free of charge with purchases. Additionally, since entering the Korean market in 1999, Starbucks Korea has offered a 300 KRW discount to customers who use personal cups, increasing the discount to 400 KRW from 2022. Customers have responded positively, with personal cup usage increasing from about 17.32 million instances in 2019 to 21.9 million in 2021, 25.3 million in 2022, and 29.6 million last year.

Starbucks Korea has also phased out plastic straws, which are relatively difficult to recycle. In 2018, Starbucks Korea signed a voluntary agreement with the Ministry of Environment and the Resource Circulation Social Solidarity to provide paper straws, and in the same year introduced lids that allow drinking without straws.