In one impactful step towards the elimination of single-use cup waste, Starbucks has introduced the Petaluma Reusable Cup Project in Petaluma, California. Running through to this August, the effort is part of a collective initiative among Starbucks, small local businesses, the City of Petaluma and some of the biggest brands on the globe, like The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Peet’s Coffee, and Yum! Brands. Reusable cups will become a customer’s standard vessel for to-go drinks, and the impact could be one of the most significant in a place that really makes disposable products a way of life if successful.
Just 8 Starbucks locations and 30 other cafes in Petaluma will provide customers with a reusable cup every time they buy a drink for the three-month test. The company has set up in place more than 60 drop-off bins across the city where customer returns the used cups. These will later be collected, cleaned, sanitized, and redistributed for reuse. The system has been created to bring reusable cups into people’s daily habits in Petaluma so that it is easy for consumers to participate in waste reduction.
It is an effort led by the NextGen Consortium in cooperation with the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. Starbucks and partners are at work on this place to design a system in which most people can begin using these reusable cups. The branded purple color allows it to be noted as BPA-free and can be used again and again.
The Starbucks Petaluma Reusable Cup Project is part of a broader environmental strategy that includes goals to reduce waste and give back more than it takes from the planet. The new initiative is an evolution of a previous test that required customers to opt in for reusable cups. In contrast, the current project will automatically provide reusable cups as the default, hoping that this will affect a permanent change in consumer behavior.
Should the Petaluma project prove successful, it could offer a model for other cities to emulate and potentially set the stage for nationwide acceptance of reusable cups. The program is part of a larger trend in which companies are increasingly coming together on sustainability initiatives, rather than each attacking the problems individually. Together with other businesses and community groups, Starbucks aims to build an ecosystem within the community that is sustainable and will benefit both the environment and the community.
Source: Starbucks
Credit: Content adapted from the initiative announcement by Starbucks.