Starbucks To Offer $1 Reusable Cups

Starbucks sells millions of cups of coffee every day, which means that millions of paper cups also get thrown in the trash every day. The Seattle-based company is hoping to lessen its environmental footprint by offering a $1 reusable cup.

Starbucks’ $1 reusable cups will go on sale starting tomorrow. Customers will be able to use the cup to get a discount on their coffee.

According to the Clarion Ledger, Starbucks already offers customers a dime discount when they bring in their own plastic cups. The discount will remain the same, but the company is hoping that the $1 reusable cups, which bear the company logo, will increase participation in the green program.

Over the years, Starbucks has launched several initiatives to decrease the environmental impact of disposable cups. In 1997, they introduced their “recycled-content cup sleeve” to prevent people from using two cups for a single cup of coffee. The company has also been hosting a Cup Summit in Seattle over the last few years to talk with other industry leaders about how to reduce waste.

Starbucks writes on its website:

“Reducing the environmental impact of our cups depends on the success of two interrelated efforts: developing recyclable cup solutions and dramatically increasing our customers’ use of reusable cups. Many of our customers are also working to reduce their own environmental impact even as we are. To help, we offer a 10-cent discount when customers use their own reusable mugs or tumblers for their beverages in company-operated stores in the U.S. and Canada. Customers enjoying their beverage in-store can also request that it be served in a ceramic mug where available. Every paper cup saved helps keep our forests intact.”

Do you like Starbucks idea to offer $1 reusable cups? Do you think the cups will be popular?

Surprisingly, this isn’t the only Starbucks cup story to hit the news cycle recently. The company used its cups last week to send a message to congress about the fiscal cliff.