Starbucks in bring-your-own-cup pilot; ops cost down via Greener Store program

Starbucks is rewarding customers who use their own personal cups for orders.

The coffee giant has launched a pilot at 192 participating Starbucks stores in Colorado that rewards customers who bring in their own personal cups with $0.10 off their order. Members of the company’s reward program receive an additional 25 bonus stars.

Running April 10 to June 30, the pilot is part of Starbucks’ ongoing effort to shift away from single-use cups. By the start of next year, the coffee giant aims for customers to be able to use their own personal reusable cup for every store visit in the US and Canada.

Greener Stores

Starbucks announced it has certified 3,508 “Greener Stores” globally, putting the company well on its way to achieving its goal of operating 10,000 Greener Stores globally by 2025. Introduced in 2018 and co-developed with the World Wildlife Fund, the chain’s “Greener Stores” framework includes a set of 25 performance-based standards across environmental impact areas such as energy efficiency, water stewardship and waste diversion.

In the United States, the Greener Stores practices have saved Starbucks almost $60 million in annual operating costs, including 30% water savings and 30% energy reduction when compared to historic store practices. In markets around the world, Greener Stores energy and water savings and waste diversion help advance the company’s goal to reduce carbon emissions, water usage and landfill waste by 50% by 2030.

Each Greener Store has a different combination of sustainable features that help it receive its third-party verification. Some stores have obvious elements like solar panels or water recycling tanks. While others have less obvious features behind the counter, including high-efficiency appliances, low-emitting paint and sealants, recycling tampers, and energy-efficient HVAC temperature systems.  

Since it was introduced, the Greener Stores program has been expanded to 20 markets around the globe, with the company recently announcing its first certifications in two new regions: Asia Pacific (AP), and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

In addition, the company is expanding in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) by building all new stores in the region under the Greener Stores framework by the end of 2023 and going forward.