Starbucks has been a longtime champion for reusable cups. The coffee giant has conducted more than 20 reusable tests in stores worldwide and earlier this year, it became the first national coffee retailer to accept reusable cups for drive-thru and mobile orders.
Now Starbucks is aiming to make reusable cups mainstream by bringing in a knowledgeable partner — and even its competitors. The brand is working with NextGen Consortium and more than 30 restaurants in the Petaluma, Calif., area, including Dunkin’ and Peet’s Coffee, Burger King, Yum! Brands and a select number of local businesses. Area locations will default to using reusable cups touting a purple “Sip, Return, Repeat” design. When consumers finish their beverages, they can drop their cups in one of 60+ return bins installed across the city.
With the test running through Oct. 28, 2024, Starbucks plans to eliminate the use of hundreds of thousands of single-use cups, according to a company statement. Some return bins will stay out beyond the test’s completion to give consumers plenty of time to return their cups.
To raise awareness and educate consumers on this citywide initiative, Starbucks and NextGen Consortium will run dedicated ads on billboards, bus stops and other public locations in Petaluma. Starbucks partners and brand employees will even wear purple aprons to generate buzz in locations.
Advertisement
