In a push to highlight its Planet Positive initiative, which includes reducing its carbon, water, and waste footprints by 50%, alongside its goal to achieve carbon-neutral green coffee and conserve water usage in green coffee processing by 50% by 2030, Starbucks is honoring the planet in numerous ways.
To coincide with Earth Month, the famed Seattle coffeehouse and roastery chain has launched a new reusable cup initiative, an eco-friendly, mint green merch lineup, and a new Odyssey Blend.
In a push to support reusability and eliminate waste, Starbucks’s new “Earth Month” merchandising collection features a glass water bottle, to-go hot and cold cups, a reusable tote bag, and various tumblers.
Each limited-edition item is dressed in a seasonal-appropriate mint green hue, while a special white graphic has been emblazoned on a select few items to promote sustainability. The tote bag is crafted from 100% post-consumer recycled PET, while the rest of the drinkware offering is either made from recycled plastic, recycled polypropylene plastic, or post-consumer recycled glass.
Moving on, the new Odyssey Blend Coffee is focused on a more sustainable future for the coffee industry and supports both coffee farmers and their communities. Customers will be able to learn about the coffee’s journey from bean to cup by simply scanning the QR code present on each bag.
Lastly, select Seattle-based Starbucks locations have begun a points-earning “Borrow a Cup” trial for Earth Month. For a refundable $1 deposit, customers can drink their beverage from a newly-designed reusable cup. Once the cup is returned, customers will receive their $1 back along with 10 rewards points as part of the chain’s loyalty program. The cups will be professionally cleaned and sterilized. Starbucks has shared that one borrowed cup replaces up to 30 disposable cups.
Starbucks’ “Earth Month” collection and Odyssey Blend Coffee are now available at participating locations, while the “Borrow a Cup” initiative will run until the end of May with expansion on the horizon.
All images in this article are courtesy of Starbucks.
