Global coffee chain Starbucks has announced the launch of a collaborative city-wide returnable cup trial, aiming to make reusable cups the default option for takeaway drinks.
The project will run from 5 August to 28 October 2024 in Petaluma, California, United States. It is a collaboration with NextGen Consortium, a company that aims to reimagine how food is packaged to help increase sustainable solutions.
“Last year, Starbucks conducted a similar test in the same area, but we tested on our own,” says Director of Reusables at Starbucks Helen Kao.
“This year, we expanded on that through our partnership with NextGen Consortium to drive systems change. What if we saturated a community and reusables became the cultural norm? Now it’s an ecosystem of global brands, local businesses, city leaders and community groups working together. The industry is realising that it’s easier to partner than do things alone.”
In a statement, Kao said the focus of the project is on ubiquity and convenience. By making reusable cups the default option, the trial aims to support customers in building the habit of returning their cups instead of “opting in”.
Over the course of the three-month project, eight Starbucks stores will participate in the test, in which a total of 30 restaurants and cafés in Petaluma will offer reusable cups for hot and cold beverages.
Customers can then return the cups at one of the 60 purple drop-off return bins located at Starbucks cafes and participating businesses throughout the city. The cups will then be professionally cleaned, sanitised, and recirculated to be used again.
The project is part of Starbucks’ environmental promise to give more than it takes, a goal set to eventually make all customer-facing packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable.
“At Starbucks, we’re aspiring to make reusable cups the easy, everyday, sustainable choice,” says Kao.
“How do we all do our part and help take small steps to make a collective impact for our communities?”
The test will measure consumer engagement and provide insights on how the model could work on a larger scale to reduce the number of single-use cups.
In addition to Starbucks, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Peet’s Coffee, and Yum! are also participating in the project, alongside local cafes and restaurants, city and county governments, and community and environmental advocacy groups. Starbucks licensed partners, Target, and Safeway are also taking part.
For more information on the project, click here.
