Some customers say new ‘awful’ eco-friendly Starbucks cups are hard to drink out of
Feb 19, 2025, 5:04 AM | Updated: 3:17 pm
A Starbucks Coffee sign on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Houston. (Photo: Ashley Landis, AP)
(Photo: Ashley Landis, AP)
Starbucks enthusiasts will soon notice a change in their cold coffee orders as some locations transition to a new, eco-friendly cup and lid. Not everyone is happy with the change.
In certain states, including Washington, the coffee behemoth is replacing its clear single-use plastic cups with opaque white compostable ones made out of molded fiber. But this shift has sparked frustration among some customers, who are finding it harder to drink from the new lids.
This change is part of Starbucks’ ongoing sustainability efforts, as confirmed by a company spokesperson. The coffee giant has committed to making its cups fully compostable, recyclable, or reusable by 2030, according to their website.
“On Feb. 11, a small number of stores in 14 states switched to commercially compostable cups and lids as part of our efforts to reduce waste and meet local market requirements,” a Starbucks spokesperson told FOX Business.
The move also helps Starbucks comply with local regulations in cities where laws have been passed to reduce single-use plastics. While Starbucks has 17,000 stores across the U.S., only around 580 locations in 14 states have adopted these new cups.
What are the complaints with the new Starbucks lids?
Reddit users have two main complaints with the new eco-friendly cup and lid.
The opaque cups for hot drinks and cold drinks look alike. It makes it difficult for customers to photograph their colorful drinks, which means fewer posts on social media.
“No more Tiktok drinks,” a Reddit user said. “Can’t flaunt a drink if it’s hidden.”
But others complain that “the cups are uncomfortable to drink out of and that the lids do not seal well,” according to Fox Business. The lid resembles those on to-go soup containers from grocery stores.
“They are awful & so awkward to drink out of,” a Reddit user claimed.
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The states where Starbucks locations have adopted eco-friendly cups:
- California
- Washington
- Hawaii
- Minnesota
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Maryland
- Connecticut
- Virginia
- South Carolina
- Colorado
- Georgia
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