Photo by Starbucks
Starbucks Improves Its Iconic Cold Cup
April 18, 2024
Starbucks continues to prioritize sustainability at the core of its business model, furthering its commitment to becoming a resource-positive company. Cold drinks account for 75% of the chain’s United States beverage sales, so on April 18, the company announced an improved version of its iconic cold cup.
This new cup is driven by Starbucks’s goals to reduce landfill waste and ensure all customer packaging is reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2030. The company hopes these improved cups will keep 13.5 million pounds of plastic from landfills yearly.
The improved single-use cold cups are made of 10% to 20% less plastic, which supports the company’s commitment to cut its carbon, water, and waste footprints in half by 2030. Also, the tall, grande, and venti cups now all use the same size lids.
Per Starbucks, the new cups include 30% post-consumer recycled content, core sleeves contain 85% recycled material, and the lid has been redesigned to be strawless. Also, selected markets boast fiber-based compostable cups.
Customers can also find in-store recycling and composting bins where services are available. Adjacent to that development, Starbucks developed a Partner Waste and Recycling App, informed by partners (employees), that helps store partners know exactly what can be recycled or composted for their specific zip code.
Alongside this innovative rollout, Starbucks has also seen encouraging results since it became the first national retail coffeehouse to accept reusable cups across all channels in January. According to Starbucks, nearly 400,000 Rewards members brought in a personal cup between the time the option became available and this January when the change was made company-wide.
The stats also show that out of those members, 150,000 customers used a personal cup for the first time, and 20% of baristas used a personal cup for their shift beverage. A bring-your-own-clean personal cup option is available in all ordering channels, including drive-thru and the Starbucks app, in North America.
Some of the initiatives mentioned above are in development and expected to launch by the end of 2024.
Recent News
Babies“R”Us Is Returning to Some Kohl’s Stores
The openings should begin later in 2024.
Reddit Reveals New Policies and AI Licensing Ventures
Reddit Inc. has unveiled fresh guidelines governing data on its platform, aiming to bolster its revenue streams through licensing deals with AI developers and other firms.
April Retail Sales Showed Moderate Growth
Retail sales in April showed a modest uptick compared to the previous month, according to the latest CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. However, a year-over-year decline was observed, attributed largely to the timing of Easter.
DICK’S Sporting Goods Makes Deal With Celtics & Red Sox
In a recent announcement, DICK’S Sporting Goods unveiled a multi-year partnership with two esteemed sports teams from Boston: the Celtics and the Red Sox.