Starbucks expands its personal cup ordering options
Image: Starbucks
Starbucks Coffee Company has announced that customers at all company-operated and participating licensed Starbucks Stores across the US and Canada can use their clean personal cup when ordering in café, in the drive-thru or when ordering ahead with the Starbucks app. With the majority of Starbucks beverages consumed on-the-go, this milestone unlocks an opportunity for more customers to choose reusables and support Starbucks commitment to reduce waste by 50% by 2030.
“At Starbucks, we envision a future where every beverage can be served in a reusable cup,” said Michael Kobori, Starbucks chief sustainability officer. “Offering customers more options to use a personal cup when they visit Starbucks marks tangible progress towards the future. We know our customers are passionate about the planet, and now, they can join us in our efforts to give more than we take, no matter how they order.”
Starbucks is the first national coffeehouse in the US to offer customers the option to use their personal
cup when mobile ordering. In Canada, Starbucks is the first to offer customers the option to use their
personal cup in mobile order for all drinks and all sizes. This is part of a larger cultural movement the
company is leading to shift toward reusables and away from single-use plastics, making it convenient for customers to use their own personal cup for every visit.
“As we know, the most sustainable cup is likely the one you already own. Bringing your own cup to
stores is a critical step toward reducing single-use packaging waste. Starbucks is a leader in this work, as the first national retailer of scale to offer personal cup ordering in every channel, including mobile order,” said Kate Daly, managing director and head of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. “The NextGen Consortium is proud to have Starbucks as a founding member of the Consortium to reduce packaging waste and looks forward to supporting Starbucks in their work to
advance a waste-free world.”
How It Works
Customers at participating stores in the US and Canada who bring any clean, personal cup will receive a $0.10 discount on their beverage, and in the US, Starbucks Rewards members will receive 25 Bonus
Stars.*
- In café, customers tell the barista when they order that they brought their own personal cup. Customers choosing to sit and stay in café can also request a reusable ceramic or glass cup at most stores.
- In drive-thru, while ordering, customers order their beverage as usual, and let the barista know they brought their own cup. At the pickup window, baristas will collect customers’ personal cup without the lid using a contactless vessel to ensure hygiene and safety. The beverage will be returned the same way.
- When customers order via the Starbucks app, first they will hit the “Customization” button and then select “Personal Cup” in the customization menu and continue ordering as normal. When they get to the store, customers connect with their barista at the pickup area, and hand over their clean personal cup without the lid. The barista will hand the beverage back in a contactless vessel.
*Valid at participating stores on in-store, drive-thru, or in-app beverage purchases only (max 3x per day).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can customers bring any personal cup?
Customers are welcome to use any clean, personal cup. Now every cup can be a Starbucks cup!
What beverages can customers order in their personal cup? All Starbucks standard size options (Short,
Tall, Grande, Venti) and beverage formats (hot, iced, and blended) are eligible to be ordered in a
personal cup.
How do baristas ensure the correct beverage when it’s ordered in a personal cup?
Customers order their beverage as they would normally, letting the barista know they brought their own
clean, personal cup and the size they would like. Baristas then build the beverage using a new, custom
beverage craft smallware that has standardised lines partners need for measurements, before pouring the beverage into customers’ personal cup, and adding any toppings.
Can a barista help clean a customer’s personal cup before adding the beverage ordered?
For customers’ safety and ours, baristas are unable to rinse personal cups in Starbucks equipment sinks. For this reason, no dirty cups will be accepted.
Can customers use personal cups at licensed Starbucks locations (like those in grocery stores)?
Participation by licensed Starbucks stores may vary. We recommend customers ask their barista during
their next visit.
Designed with Partners and Customers in Mind Starbucks is able to offer personal cup ordering in all channels as a direct result of its test and learn approach, informed by partners (employees) in Starbucks Tryer Innovation Lab and at pilot locations across the US.
Building off a successful personal cup test at 200 drive-thru stores across Colorado last spring, Starbucks store partners informed and helped co-design the custom reusable cup smallware all stores will now use to transfer orders to personal cups.
“As long as we are following all our procedures and steps, it doesn’t add any more time, and it is actually making customers happier,” said Brook, a partner who worked at a store that participated in the
Colorado test. “This has been a really big hit.”
Starbucks has been championing reusable cup options for 30 years, and in recent years Starbucks has
conducted more than 20 reusables tests in stores around the world with more planned in the year
ahead.