Starbucks Coffee cups have evolved throughout the years, but it looks like we may be getting our biggest change yet.
On Tuesday, Starbucks announced it is pledging $10 million toward a new initiative to develop a recyclable coffee cup within the next three years.
The popular coffee chain currently uses cups that are reportedly very difficult to recycle. They have a plastic coating on the inside, which allows them to hold up under the heat from coffee, but that makes them unable to be recycled in some areas. Well, finally, Starbucks has announced that it's going to do something about it.
Starbucks is teaming up with Closed Loop Partners' Center for the Circular Economy to create what they are calling "The NextGen Cup Challenge". The goal of this challenge is to develop a more sustainable cup that will keep cups out of landfills and making them recyclable.
This is what Starbucks announced: "... we are declaring a moon shot for sustainability to work together as an industry to bring a fully recyclable and compostable cup to the market, with a three-year ambition."
Starbucks says it's committing $10 million "in partnership with Closed Loop Partners and its Center for the Circular Economy to establish a groundbreaking consortium to launch the NextGen Cup Challenge."
Starbucks cups are currently recyclable in several large markets, including Seattle, New York, Boston, San Francisco and Washington D.C. Starbucks is seeking help from cities to develop consistent recycling policies to ensure that cups can be more widely recycled..
If you have an idea that can help achieve Starbucks' goal, you can possibly become a millionaire.