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Tell Starbucks: Stop the Greenwashing
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Something is brewing at Starbucks, and it’s not just coffee.
The global coffee chain is a major plastic polluter, and they know it -- that's why they launched a reuse policy in January 2025. Starbucks’ "A Better Cup For All" policy is that reusables are the default when customers have their drink "for here."
But our survey (full results coming soon!) of over 140 Starbucks locations across 30 states found that 77% of the time, that's not the case. By far, the default is wasteful single-use cups. Only 36% of participants were able to get a reusable "for here" mug, often after having to specifically ask for one. What's the point of a sustainability policy if it's not being implemented in reality?
Starbucks must do better, otherwise it's just greenwashing.
Starbucks is the biggest coffee chain in the world, and a major plastic polluter. They use an estimated 8 million polypropylene (No. 5) plastic cups every day in the U.S. for its cold drinks. That’s 5,000 cups every single minute.
We know that reusables are the solution to single-use waste, plastic pollution, and microplastic health concerns. In fact, Starbucks knows that too: the corporation has its very own "Better Cup For All" reuse guidelines.
Starbucks’ policy states that when a customer orders a beverage at one of their company-owned stores with café seating, it will be automatically served in a reusable mug or glass, unless the customer specifically asks for a to-go cup. Supposedly, reusables are the default.
But is that really the case at stores across the United States? We set out to investigate.
Our survey of over 140 Starbucks locations across 30 states found that 77% of the time, that's not the case. By far, the default is wasteful single-use cups. Only 36% of participants were able to get a reusable "for here" mug, often after having to specifically ask for one.
Moreover, a recent report by Beyond Plastics estimates that Starbucks sells approximately 8 million plastic cups (and lids and straws) every day in the U.S., and found that they deceive customers with misleading recycling claims. The company touts that its single-use plastic cups are “widely recyclable” but 90% of the cups the environmental group tracked ended up in landfills, incinerators, and waste transfer stations. In fact, none of the tracked cups went to a plastic polypropylene recycling factory.
Now, alongside our partners at Beyond Plastics and CALPIRG, we're calling upon Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol to stop the greenwashing and do better to implement the "Better Cups For All" reuse policy. Can you add your name to the petition today?
