Starbucks Starts Accepting Reusable, Personal Cups for Orders

Starbucks revealed it will start allowing customers to use personal cups for their orders. This move comes as the coffee chain seeks more ways for its staff to fill customers' reusable cups.

CNN Business reported that Starbucks' acceptance of personal cups for beverage orders is also part of its ongoing efforts to lessen the enormous volume of waste that it produces from its drinking cups that are always thrown in the trash bins. The company said that starting Wednesday this week, it will include the reusable cup option for orders made via drive-thru and the chain's app.

How It Works

Customers must tell the barista they have their own cups when ordering via Starbucks drive-thru locations. The staff will collect the tumbler at the pickup window using a contactless container for hygiene and safety. Then, customers can get their orders through the same carrier.

Those ordering through the Starbucks app will see the "personal cup" option on the platform. This new feature has been added under the "customization" and can be clicked during ordering.

Customers need to note that the Starbucks baristas will not rinse the cups, so they should be clean before bringing them to the store. Also, the coffee chain said it would not accept tumblers or cups that are bigger than 40 ounces.

New Milestone: First National Coffee Retailer to Allow Reusable Cups for Drive-thru and Mobile Orders

The introduction of reusable cups at the drive-thru and mobile app is said to be a milestone move for Starbucks. This is because personal cups were previously allowed for in-store or dine-in orders only.

This is also a significant expansion for the brand as orders from drive-thrus and the Starbucks app collectively make up around 70% of the firm's sales from stores in the United States where the parent company operates. Meanwhile, Starbucks' goal is to reduce its waste by as much as 50% by 2030.

"At Starbucks, we envision a future where every beverage can be served in a reusable cup," Starbucks' chief sustainability officer, Michael Kobori, said in a press release. "Offering customers more options to use a personal cup when they visit Starbucks marks tangible progress towards the future. We know our customers are passionate about the planet, and now, they can join us in our efforts to give more than we take, no matter how they order."

Photo by: Starbucks Press Release