Starbucks expanding its reusable cup format

Starbucks is expanding its reusable cup format to 12 stores in Napa and Petaluma, California. Between Aug. 14 and Oct. 22, every beverage made at these stores will be prepared in either a personal cup or in a Starbucks reusable “Borrow A Cup” that customers can take with them and return in smart return bins.

The company says its vision for the future is that every Starbucks beverage could be served in a reusable cup, and that customers can bring their own personal reusable cup when they visit a location. During the trial period, customers at participating stores can bring their personal cup into the café or drive-thru or will be offered a “Borrow A Cup” from the store. Customers opting to sit and stay in the café will be able to choose “For Here Ware,” a reusable ceramic or glass cup.

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The company says it has teamed up with San Francisco-based Turn Systems for the test, using its collection bins to understand cup return behavior. Starbucks adds customers who bring in their own clean personal cup will receive 10 cents off with an additional 25 bonus stars for Starbucks Rewards members. When a customer returns a borrowed cup, they also have the option to register online with Turn for a chance to win a prize.

Borrowed cups can be returned in-store by scanning and dropping them into a contactless return bin. The cups will then be professionally washed and sanitized for future use.

“Our latest round of reusables tests around the world contribute to our goal for all customer packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable in the future,” Starbucks Vice President of Business Strategy, Partner and Customer Relations Amelia Landers says in a release. “We know our partners and customers care about the planet, and we’re proud to offer them ways to join us in making sustainable choices in their everyday lives.”

The company has been testing the 100 percent reusable model in several markets, including three U.S. cities and globally in locations including Japan, Singapore, London and South Korea, since 2001. After a successful three-month test, Starbucks says customers can bring their personal cup through drive-thru going forward at 192 stores across Colorado.

The initiative has been designed to support the company’s goal to reduce waste by 50 percent by 2030, shifting away from single-use plastics, championing the use of recycled content and promoting reusability amid a broader shift toward a circular economy.

Starbucks says the biggest takeaway from the tests as it prepares to bring this model to more locations is how to offer customers a way to shift away from single-use cups toward a reusable to-go coffee experience, in a way that is convenient, easy and enjoyable.