Starbucks’ new compostable white cup rolls out this month
Last year, Starbucks on average sold 5 million drinks a day, just in the U.S. That’s great from a business perspective, but that number also indicates a lot of disposable cups and waste. Luckily, Starbucks is always looking for ways to recycle and reuse.
The world-famous brand was at the forefront of moving toward paper straws. Starbucks also uses recycled products in its cups, cup sleeves, and napkins.
However, making its hot cups more environmentally friendly has been a tough project to tackle.
The problem with recycling hot cups
Even though Starbucks established a green team as early as 1994, the greenest thing about its hot cups, until this year, was arguably the iconic mermaid emblem printed on the outside.
The problem is that the standard disposable paper coffee cup used by Starbucks (and your average coffee shop and gas station) is notoriously difficult for most recycling plants to process.
Sure, the outside of the cup is made of paper material. But as the saying goes, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. And in this case, the inside is coated with leak-proof PE or PLA plastic. No one wants to be surprised with their hot drink dripping into their laps!
The process of separating the paper from the plastic is expensive and labor-intensive. Many centers decide it’s not worth it, and the majority of hot coffee cups are sent off to landfills.
Starbucks made early efforts to reduce its carbon footprint by incorporating 10% of recycled materials into its classic white cups. Also, its green team has been working behind the scenes to make its hot cups more widely recyclable. They promised to get a plan in place by 2025.
And true to their word, Starbucks is rolling out a new, improved hot coffee cup as of this month.
Starbucks’ 2025 white cup is now greener
Starbucks’ new cup design uses Italian technology and was designed in Wales. Instead of the plastic coating, these paper cups have a mineral-based lining that is easier on the environment.
The plastic lids have also gotten a makeover. The new version is made from fibre materials lined with a mineral-based coating.
This new, improved Starbucks cup can go into the recycle bin, and it’s also safe to compost in your home garden.
What happens in Europe, stays in Europe…for now, at least
Starbucks’ new recyclable, compostable cup was designed and created in Europe. So, it only makes sense that it rolls out first in Europe. This month, the new design will start becoming available in Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Portugal, and Hungary. It is also expected to show up in the UK and Ireland sometime this year.
Starbucks hasn’t offered a date for this new recyclable design to hit stores in the U.S. or Canada. However, until it becomes available, U.S. and Canadian customers can still cut down on waste by bringing their own cups to Starbucks cafes and drive-thrus. Those who choose this route can also benefit from a discount and/or points.
Starbucks’ new hot cup may still look white on the outside. But, it is now greener than ever before.
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