Washington, DC – Starbucks announced today that it will offer its reusable Cup-Share program in all of its 3,840 stores in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa by 2025 as it works to reduce single-use waste. An initial trial will begin in the U.K., France, and Germany in the coming months.
Commenting on the news, Starbucks EMEA President Duncan Moir said: “While we have made great strides in reducing the number of single use paper cups that leave our stores there is more to be done and we must make reusability the only option, long term.”
Starbucks recently announced a similar initiative to shift entirely toward reusables in South Korea.
In response to Starbucks’ announcement, Greenpeace USA Oceans Campaign Director John Hocevar said:
“Starbucks is starting to show the kind of leadership we need to see from a company of its size to move away from disposability and toward innovative reusable programs. Incentivizing reuse and making it easier for people to embrace will help to improve the plastic pollution crisis that companies like Starbucks contribute to. Ultimately, it is not enough to offer a reusable program in only some countries, Starbucks must move away from disposable cups and toward reuse across its locations worldwide. While this is a great indication of where the company wants to go, there are still tens of thousands of Starbucks stores handing out billions of throwaway cups each year. Making reusability the only option will make Starbucks the kind of leader that other companies relying on throwaway plastic will need to find a way to follow.”
###
Contact: Perry Wheeler, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, P: 301-675-8766
