Return Five Disposable Cups at These Starbucks Stores to Receive an "Eco Star"

Customized Disposable Cup Collection and Reward Program
Launched by Ministry of Environment, Starbucks, and Cheongju City

At 28 Starbucks locations within Cheongju, customers can receive one Eco Star by returning five cleaned disposable cups from Starbucks products. Eco Stars are Starbucks in-store reward points that can be exchanged for beverages and other items at Starbucks locations.

On June 16, the Ministry of Environment announced that, together with Starbucks Korea and the Cheongju city government, it will officially launch this regionally customized disposable cup collection and compensation program starting June 17.

Specifically, under the collection and compensation program, customers who purchase beverages at Starbucks stores in Cheongju and return five cleaned disposable cups will receive one Eco Star. Eco Stars are Starbucks’ eco-friendly buyer reward points, which can be redeemed for beverages and other items at Starbucks stores, following the same tier system as the regular Starbucks Stars. For example, two Eco Stars can be used to upsize a beverage, eight Eco Stars can be exchanged for certain beverages, and twelve Eco Stars can be redeemed for any beverage.

The disposable cups returned by consumers will be transported by collection and transport companies to recycling facilities. There, the cups will be recycled into short fibers, which are then used as raw materials for products such as comforter fillings, pillows, and automobile interior materials.

Ministry of Environment Signs Voluntary Agreement for Customized Disposable Cup Collection and Compensation

(Seoul=Yonhap News) On April 10, Kim Wanseop, Minister of Environment, signed a 'Voluntary Agreement for Customized Disposable Cup Collection and Compensation' at the Starbucks Cheongju Bunpyeong Branch in Cheongju, Chungbuk. After the signing, he experienced earning Eco Star points by returning disposable cups. 2025.4.10 [Provided by Ministry of Environment. Resale and DB prohibited]

Photo by Yonhap News

The Ministry of Environment, Starbucks Korea, and the Cheongju city government plan to actively promote this regional customized disposable cup collection and compensation program through each institution’s social networking services (SNS). They will also continuously monitor the implementation status, including the return of disposable cups, and address any customer inconveniences that arise.

Meanwhile, since March of this year, the Ministry of Environment has been promoting the introduction of a “regionally customized disposable cup reduction system” by signing agreements in Cheongju, Gangneung, Everland (Yongin), and Seoul Land (Gwacheon).

Kim Goeung, Director of the Resource Circulation Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, stated, “This regionally customized disposable cup collection and compensation program is a system that combines Starbucks’ reward program with Cheongju’s resource circulation framework. We will strive to establish it as a leading example that can be adopted in other regions as well.”