Starbucks has unveiled a new line of cold drink cups aimed at reducing plastic waste. These cups, available in tall, grande, venti, and trenta sizes, are set to debut this month in stores across the U.S. and Canada. The company estimates that this move will prevent over 13.5 million pounds of plastic from ending up in landfills annually.
Over the past four years, Kyle Walker and his team at the Tryer Center, Starbucks’ innovation hub in Seattle, have conducted extensive research and testing to develop these new cups. Their goal was to create cups that use 10 to 20 percent less plastic while maintaining the sturdiness and functionality customers expect.
The new cups are part of Starbucks’ broader commitment to sustainability, aiming to reduce its carbon, water, and waste footprints by 50% by 2030. As part of this commitment, Starbucks is also working to ensure that all customer packaging is either reusable, recyclable, or compostable.
“We invented new ways to test the cup that we didn’t have before,” Walker said. “Like, what if we take this feature and we move it up or down? Or what if we change the shape or the radius in this very small way? We were making all these micro adjustments, and when we found the optimal combination, it was a real Eureka moment!”
One key change is that the tall, grande, and venti cups now all use the same size lid, reducing the need for multiple lid options and simplifying storage for store partners. The trenta size will use a different lid.
“We’re in the efficiency business,” says Kristi H., a 26-year partner and store manager in Washington state. “Anytime we can streamline or shave seconds off our operations, it frees us up to have more human connections with our customers, and just have more fun at work. … Anytime we can get behind anything with less of an environmental footprint is huge. It’s a small step to the bigger good.”
The new cups are not only more sustainable but also more cost-effective to produce. Starbucks expects that the production of these cups will save emissions equivalent to taking about 5,200 cars off the road annually and conserve about 2,800 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of water.