Starbucks will once again refill individual reusable cups instead of issuing disposable paper cups for each order-this feature was cancelled after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.
In order to comply with the new health standards, Starbucks has developed a system that eliminates any shared touch points between customers and baristas. When customers bring reusable cups, they will be asked to put them in ceramic cups. The barista puts the cup in the cup while making the drink. When ready, the customer picks up the drink from the ceramic cup at the end of the counter, and then puts the lid back on the drink by himself.
“Only accept clean cups,” the Starbucks website states, and baristas “will not be able to clean cups for customers.”
In addition, personal reusable cups can currently only be accepted in Starbucks stores in person, and not in any drive-thru restaurants.
For those who need a little extra motivation to pack their own cups in the morning: customers who bring their own reusable cups will get a 10 cent discount on their beverage orders.
Customers who choose to dine at Starbucks restaurants will be able to use ceramic “For Here Ware” again.
Starbucks has allowed customers to bring their own cups since the 1980s, but stopped this service due to COVID-19 health issues. In order to reduce waste, the coffee chain “conducted extensive trials and adopted this new process” in a safe manner.
Cailey Rizzo is a writer for Travel + Leisure and currently lives in Brooklyn. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram or caileyrizzo.com.
Post time: Jun-16-2021