Walking into Starbucks to sit down and crank out some assignments is a common thing to do for students in high school and college. However, people usually don’t expect to receive a glass cup of coffee and their food served on a warm plate. Recently, Starbucks has made efforts to create a more sustainable coffee experience while also elevating the cafe style to each location.
Because of recent findings in carbon in the environment, Starbucks has made improvements and changed their in-store experiences for customers by cutting carbon, water and waste footprints in half. Their plan is for less waste, plastic and paper to be thrown into our communities.
Starbucks has four different types of cups being used at Starbucks 135 and Faith as well as the Starbucks on 135 and Stonegate. Their goal is to help improve and cut down up to 20% of plastic with every wave of customers. These cups include their “For-Here” Cups, Personal Cups, Returnable Cups and their Commercially Compostable Cups. Each cup is designed to reduce the amount of waste and landfill within our environment.
Known for being convenient, Starbucks has allowed customers to bring in their personal cups or Starbucks cups which they have previously purchased and have drinks crafted in them. This reduces the amount of plastic cups when customers bring in tumblers, thermos and travel mugs to not only the cafe itself, but also when brought through a store’s drive through and mobile orders. Starbucks workers and customers alike are appreciative of the change.
“I think the change causes a lot of joy within customers. A lot of people love it,” said Junior Norin Kelly, a barista at Starbucks.
Starbucks’ most creative idea to reduce waste is their use of commercially compostable cups. Although these cups are being tested and used in select stores both in and outside of the United States, these cups have the most impact on the company’s effort to cut down on landfill. Using cups to grow gardens and plants has customers interact with biodiversity without even knowing it, allowing the public to support and change our environment.
In 2022, Starbucks implemented the use of their reusable cups in select locations in the US. Although customers are recommended to wash their cups before going to Starbucks, stores that use these reusable cups, allow a ten cent discount and 25 bonus stars for rewards members. These different sized cups come in multiple sizes, packs and themes for almost every season and holiday.
In all, Starbucks’ sustainable cup alternatives help achieve massive steps towards reduction in landfill and a massive increase in compost, both with possible results of biodiversity, cleaner air and getting coffee with the mindset of having a positive impact on the world around us.
