Consumers can be slow to embrace eco-friendly shopping practices, but people tend to come around eventually. Shoppers initially turned their noses up at the plastic bag fees grocery stores in various states instated, but now it's rare to find someone without a stash of reusable totes at home. Now, Starbucks is seeing how much its costumers are willing to help effect change.
This month, 35 London outposts began charging a five pence fee (equivalent to about seven cents, as of press time) to anyone who ordered their drink in the chain's standard cardboard takeaway cups. The trial will last three months, and stats from the period will be used to determine if the practice encourages people to bring their own travel mugs. Baristas will offer those drinking their coffee in the store a ceramic cup, cutting down on paper while lending a more independent cafe vibe to the coffee giant's shops.
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According to The Guardian, paper cups are especially hard to recycle because of the cardboard they're made with. The lining is hard to remove — so no one bothers to do so. Half a million to-go cups are trashed every day in the United Kingdom alone. Luckily, Starbucks already has a line of super successful ceramic mugs, and its newcomer Ember mug is so popular, the chain has trouble keeping it in stock. (Pro tip: Get it now before it sells out again!)
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Starbucks conducted research that revealed 48 percent of its customers would carry a reusable mug to avoid the fee. No word yet on whether the fee will become permanent post-trial or whether it'll ever make its way over to the United States. But considering what other brands are doing — like the fact that Whole Foods will pay you to bring your own bag or that Keurig is committing to all recyclable pods by 2020 — we wouldn't be surprised to see it soon.
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