Washington, D.C. – Starbucks today announced plans to eliminate its single-use cups and encourage consumers globally to adopt reusable mugs. The multinational company, which has a presence in 80 countries, acknowledges that its iconic cups are symbolic of a throw-away society that contributes to the problem of plastic pollution. Each year, up to 7 billion of its cups are discarded, accounting for 20% of its global waste impact.
In response to today’s announcement, Greenpeace USA Plastics Project Lead Kate Melges said:
“Responding to the millions of people who have demanded Starbucks end its throwaway business model, the company has taken a significant step towards embracing reuse. To truly succeed at its reuse goals, Starbucks has to take it one step further and ensure the onus is not just on their customers; reusable cups must be accessible, making a single-use cup swap doable for all customers. The company’s shift towards reuse should prevent billions of pieces of plastic from ending up in the environment and sends a clear signal to the fossil fuel industry that there is no future for their disposable plastic.”
Starbucks’ commitment today comes shortly after Coca-Cola announced reuse targets and exerts further pressure on companies like PepsiCo, Unilever, and Nestlé that will remain symbols of the harmful throwaway culture until they commit to reuse.
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Contact: Tanya Brooks, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, P: 703-342-9226, E: [email protected]
Greenpeace USA
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. This year, as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, Greenpeace USA is committed to rebuilding the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
