Starbucks introduces reusable cup to reduce waste

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Starbucks introduces reusable cup to reduce waste

By THE NATION

 

 

TO ENCOURAGE reusability on Earth Day, and to inspire its customers to make more sustainable choices all year long, Starbucks yesterday launched reusable hot and cold cups in Thai stores.
 

The Bt150 reusable cup is now available at all its stores, as Starbucks aims to reduce its environmental footprint and positively impact the communities it serves. Customers will also receive a Bt10 discount for each purchase with a reusable cup, so the cup pays for itself after 15 uses.

The reusable cup is nearly identical to the Starbucks iconic white cup. It is made from polypropylene, which is specially designed to make the cup sturdier than paper.

 

 

Globally, an estimated 600 billion paper and plastic cups are distributed annually. Starbucks cups account for around 1 per cent of that total, and the restaurant says it is committed to bring more sustainable solutions to reduce waste. Since 2014, Starbucks has offered the reusable cup in the US, Canada and the UK, and has so far sold more than 25 million globally.

 

“We’ve seen an increase in public awareness and concern for the plastics waste issue in recent years. We’re proud to provide a reusable option in all Starbucks stores in Thailand without making sacrifices to our customers’ daily coffee ritual,” said Nednapa Srisamai, managing director of Starbucks Coffee (Thailand). “We’ll continue to work with all related parties to find solutions and encourage our customers to choose reusability whenever possible.”

 

Since beginning its business operations in Thailand in 1998, Starbucks has been encouraging customers to reuse their cups, and since 2013 has offered a Bt10 discount to those who purchase a beverage with their personal cups. Together, Starbucks and customers in Thailand have helped save more than 10 million single-use plastic and paper cups, according to a company press release.

 

In addition, Starbucks joined the US Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2001 and collaborated with them to develop the LEED for Retail programme, an effort to adapt LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) to new construction and commercial interiors and achieve “greener stores.” As of 2019, Starbucks is operating more than 1,500 LEED-certified stores in 20 countries. In line with the company’s global direction, Starbucks Thailand has committed to the initiative and achieved over 50 LEED -certified stores.

 

“We now look to the future of Greener Retail and aim to design, build, and operate 10,000 stores globally by 2025,” said Nednapa.

 

Earth Day is also a time to celebrate the company’s long-term global commitment to focus on sustainability. Last year, Starbucks committed US$10 million (Bt318 million) to develop a fully recyclable and compostable hot cup, in partnership with Closed Loop Partners, through the NextGen Cup Challenge, and recently announced plans to trial cup technologies in several markets worldwide over the next year. 

 

The company is also working to phase out plastic straws from its more than 30,000 stores worldwide by 2020, eliminating more than 1 billion straws a year – a goal that was announced last July. Plastic straws will be replaced by a newly redesigned, lightweight recyclable strawless lid that will begin rolling out this summer to select cities. (Plastic straws will continue to be available upon request for Starbucks customers who need or request them.)

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Corporate/30368151

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-04-23

[impulse]

Big whoop.  It's a coffee cup.  A cheap, plastic coffee cup.  For $5.

 

They already offer a discount to people who bring their own cup.

 

[ignis]

sounds hygienic 

 

[lupin]

The prefect addition to an SJWs virtue signaling arsenal... expect to see a slew of open mouthed soyboy selfies tweeted from their iPhones espousing how green they are.

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, lupin said:

The prefect addition to an SJWs virtue signaling arsenal... expect to see a slew of open mouthed soyboy selfies tweeted from their iPhones espousing how green they are.

Green as in gullible. Just take your own cup with you.

[gunderhill]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Big whoop.  It's a coffee cup.  A cheap, plastic coffee cup.  For $5.

 

They already offer a discount to people who bring their own cup.

 

How many especially in Thailand actually  do? Thais  are  lazy and who is going to go out  carrying a  cup, I  bet they sell a  big  fat zero of their new fandangled plastic  cups but  will have a  nice  big fat storeroom full of unwanted  wasted  plastic.

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, gunderhill said:

Thais  are  lazy and who is going to go out  carrying a  cup, I  bet they sell a  big  fat zero of their new fandangled plastic  cups but  will have a  nice  big fat storeroom full of unwanted  wasted  plastic.

The self-important narcissists will, As lupin said:

19 minutes ago, lupin said:

expect to see a slew of open mouthed soyboy selfies tweeted from their iPhones espousing how green they are.

Until the novelty wears off, or they have enough facebook 'likes' to keep them happy.

[impulse]

59 minutes ago, gunderhill said:

2 hours ago, impulse said:

Big whoop.  It's a coffee cup.  A cheap, plastic coffee cup.  For $5.

 

They already offer a discount to people who bring their own cup.

How many especially in Thailand actually  do? Thais  are  lazy and who is going to go out  carrying a  cup, I  bet they sell a  big  fat zero of their new fandangled plastic  cups but  will have a  nice  big fat storeroom full of unwanted  wasted  plastic.

 

The ladies in my office hauled their cups down to Starbucks for the discount.  And they always seemed to have some kind of discount showing up on their smartphones.  I'd disagree with you on how lazy they are, but it doesn't matter.  They cleaned their cups on company time, with pay.

 

[edwinchester]

Coffee shops in our area reuse plastic cups left behind by customers anyway. Quick wash, job done.

[holy cow cm]

Gimmick and using polypropylene (plastic). I certainly don't want to be inconvenienced by carrying my own plastic cup and having to wash it. Now make and edible one I can drink and then eat for lunch with a little salt would be ok..

[leeneeds]

Bought a stainless cup from Starbucks 6 years ago and I still travel with it, 

the heat it retains once pre heated is great for my requirements, 

your personal mug is very easy to get used to, 

Any little bit you can do for the environment is still a step

in the right direction

[sammieuk1]

If only they introduced coffee to their cup of milk ????

[inThailand]

Brilliant. Buy an overpriced plastic cup that most will loose or forget to bring. 

This is a money making scheme more than it is about helping the environment. 

[gunderhill]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

The ladies in my office

Hardly represents  the whole of  Thailand. What happened to the days of THEM  supplying crock  cups, 100%  reusable and they even have dishwashing machines, Starbucks  cant even be arsed to bring the drink to you, people  going there must be nuts, and theres  plenty of em.

[justin case]

why not give a cup with a chip built in, that when you would dare to leave, your credit card will be charged, looooooooooooooooooooooool

[Xonax]

How easily does the cup fit in a pocket, as you will have to carry it around until coffee time?

How badly does properly washing the cup 15 times with hot water and soap affect the environment?

Why not instead make sure the cups served can and will be recycled?  I bet that would be more friendly to the environment.

[inThailand]

What would be useful is if they bar coded your cup and stored it for you. Scan your bar card and your coffee and cup is presented and charged to your cc automatically. 

[inThailand]

3 minutes ago, Xonax said:

How easily does the cup fit in a pocket, as you will have to carry it around until coffee time?

How badly does properly washing the cup 15 times with hot water and soap affect the environment?

Why not instead make sure the cups served can and will be recycled?  I bet that this would be more friendly to the environment.

Agreed. But it's not the most profitable model, hence why not available. 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, impulse said:

Big whoop.  It's a coffee cup.  A cheap, plastic coffee cup.  For $5.

 

They already offer a discount to people who bring their own cup.

 

I was going to say, this cup although re-usable is still polypropylene!!!

Why not offer customers a discount to bring their own drinking vessels.. you beat me to it!

The 150 baht price tag is expensive & the 10baht reduction is a good marketing ploy as the coffee price more than covers the price of the sale!

(I will add I didn't know about the discount as I don't use Starbucks & never will).

 

[Ulic]

The only problem with bringing a reusable cup to help with environmental waste is they use a disposable cup to measure out the amount to then pour into your stainless steel travel mug. I shake my head.

[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, Ulic said:

The only problem with bringing a reusable cup to help with environmental waste is they use a disposable cup to measure out the amount to then pour into your stainless steel travel mug. I shake my head.

What? Not being a Starbucks customer I have no idea.

They don't press a button that will dispense small/medium/large portions? Each one is manually filled?

 

Does that mean each disposable cup is then thrown into the bin, not to be used for a 'normal' customer without their own cup?

That seems a bit behind the times, although very bureaucratic.

 

 

[mok199]

I don't see any ''Starbucks'' in the morning piles of garbage along beach rd....its all the usual ''street vendor'' take away, plastic and foam insanity...IMHO Thai's will never change,i often watch as a Thai will purchase a meal from a street cart, and without a second thought, walk away with 9 plastic bags and 4 foam containers....Absolutley NO regard for the environment....

[ZeVonderBearz]

I  can see it now, all the mugs drinking Starbucks from their mugs. Go to you local coffee shop and get a big yettie thermal mug which costs about 250thb and 30thb for a metal/bamboo straw.

[mike324]

If they are really sincere, sell that cup at 60 baht not 150. They are still profiting even at 60 baht, cost of that cup to get it made is only around 20 baht or less.

[Krataiboy]

Anyone mug enough to pay the extortionate prices charged at fancy coffee outlets should at least insist it be served in a ceramic container, rather than the usual cheap-and-nasty plastic, paper or polystyrene.

 

Hopefully, with an anti-plastic campaign in full swing, everyone will eventually benefit from better taste - in every sense of the word. 

[poskat]

all this reduce waste and "no plastic bag" days are just a way for the companies to not have to spend money on them and use "green" policies as the cover. Same as for hotels with their "if you want to save the world by not having your sheets changed or towels washed".

[Kieran00001]

7 hours ago, ignis said:

sounds hygienic 

 

 

Do you have a sink in your kitchen?

[peterb17]

3 hours ago, Xonax said:

How easily does the cup fit in a pocket, as you will have to carry it around until coffee time?

How badly does properly washing the cup 15 times with hot water and soap affect the environment?

Why not instead make sure the cups served can and will be recycled?  I bet that would be more friendly to the environment.

You need a ‘Man ‘ bag - problem solved 

[DefaultName]

I went to Starbucks once - hiding from the rain - nice coffee. but I can buy a months instant for what that cup cost.  Once, not planning on twice, not a cheap charlie, but don't like feeling ripped off.  ????

[malibukid]

i have been doing this for years.  i get a weird look when i show up with my own slightly used cup at Starbucks.  sometimes it's from The Coffee Bean????