Georgia’s Starbucks locations will be serving their Iced Coffees and Frappuccinos in the new sustainable cups. Starbucks is introducing the new compostable cold drink cups in 14 states, and Georgia is one of them. Starbucks locations in these states are bidding adieu to the old clear plastic cold cups in an initiative to reduce plastic waste produced by the company.
Starbucks has replaced their transparent single-use plastic cold cups with opaque white compostable cups. The new compostable cups will be made with a fiber-based paper board with a bioplastic liner. It will come with flat lids for regular iced drinks and dome-shaped lids for whipped drinks like frappuccinos – the lids are made from molded fiber. As the cups are double-walled, it provides insulation and reduces condensation.
California, Washington, Hawaii, Minnesota, Arizona, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Michigan, Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia, South Carolina, and Colorado are the other states that will be seeing the change in the cups. That’s a total of about 580 Starbucks cafes, out of the more than 17,000 in the U.S., that will be using the new compostable cups for their cold drinks. The company will likely replace the cups in more stores across the country in the coming months of 2025.
Highlights
- Starbucks is rolling out its new compostable cold cups in its Georgia locations.
- Georgia is among the 14 states where the new cup is being introduced.
- Starbucks fans have expressed mixed reactions to the new change in the cups.
New Sustainable Cold Cups By Starbucks Receives Mixed Reactions
While Starbucks is making a move that will be good for the environment, its customers are divided on whether they like the new change in cups. Many support the move as it will have a positive impact on reducing plastic waste. A customer said that we need more paper cups and fewer plastic ones.
Several customers went to social media to complain about the new cups as well. While one user said the feeling of sipping cold foam through the new cup was awful, another said the cups had an odd taste and texture, and the hole was too small. A few said that they had leaks happen from the new cups. Other customers did not like the fact the drinks are not visible through the new opaque cups – which also means that they will not be able to post their aesthetically pleasing drinks on social media.
Responding to the disapproval among customers, Starbucks said that they do have alternate options. Customers can bring lean, personal reusable cups for their coffee or choose the beverage ‘for here’ and have it in a ceramic mug or glass. A spokesperson said that the brand is “committed to innovation, testing, and learning to meet the expectations of our partners and customers – and the requirements of the markets we serve.”
Starbucks posted on its official website that it has set the ambitious goal for its cups to be 100% compostable, recyclable, or reusable by 2030. The raw materials will be sourced from 50% recycled materials, and the cups will be made using 50% less virgin fossil fuel-derived sources by the end of the decade. In the U.S. and Canada, the company will be rolling out a more sustainable and accessible cold cup made with 10-20% less plastic.
Starbucks is taking another step towards meeting its ambitious environmental goals to reduce the waste output from its stores in Georgia and across its stores around the world. While some customers may be unhappy with the new change, the fact that it will result in a dramatic reduction in the amount of plastic cups ending up in landfills may make it worth it.
