Starbucks announces roll out of 5p paper cup charge to all Britain stores
The sustainability initiative will be tested starting July 26.
Starbucks has announced that it will test a 5p paper cup charge across all 950 stores in Britain, following a three-month trial in London.
The charge, which will start on July 26, will see the cost added to any drink purchased in a paper cup to "further encourage customers to bring in a reusable cup."
The announcement comes after "positive" trial results that indicated a 126% uptick in the use of reusable cups in participating stores, where customers have been receiving a longstanding 25p discount off any Starbucks drink, and follows recent news about the coffee giant's plan to use recyclable lids to replace plastic straws by 2020.
(Also read: Starbucks' new recyclable lids to phase out plastic straws by 2020)
The funds raised from the 5p cup charge will be dedicated to support recycling and sustainability efforts with Hubbub, the environmental charity that Starbucks worked with throughout the three-month trial.
“We saw encouraging results from the first three months of this trial with Hubbub, and what stood out to us was the positive response we had from our partners (employees) and customers who continue to push us to innovate and find ways to reduce waste. Extending this to all our stores across Britain is an exciting step and we’re hoping this charge will remind customers to rethink their use of single-use plastic as it has with plastic bags," Starbucks EMEA president Martin Brok said in a statement.
“Single-use plastics is an issue that has become more significant in people’s minds than ever before. The trial proved this, showing that customers have an increased awareness of the need to reduce waste from single-use cups. A 5p charge is an effective way to prompt this change. We’re excited to be working with Starbucks, particularly as they take on board the findings of the trial and introduce the charge across the whole of the UK," Trewin Restorick, CEO and Founder of Hubbub added.
