Reusable cups are now allowed at all Starbucks locations in the US and Canada starting Wednesday, Jan. 3. Starbucks (SBUX) customers can use their cups at the counter, via the Starbucks app, or at the drive-thru.
Starbucks claims to be the first U.S. coffeehouse to accept recyclable cups for mobile and drive-thru orders.
Starbucks is the first Canadian company to let "use their personal cup in mobile order for all drinks and all sizes."
Using a reusable cup gets you $0.10 off your drink, but Starbucks Rewards members in the U.S. get 25 Bonus Stars. This applies to three daily orders.
25 Bonus Stars can be used to customize a future drink with oat milk or another espresso shot.
Ordering with reusable cups makes it easier to earn 100 Bonus Stars for a free brewed coffee or bakery item or 200 for a free handmade drink.
Its potential to substantially reduce waste may be its biggest value. Starbucks generated 374,000 tons of garbage in 2021.
Customers can now bring their own cups to Starbucks. It also makes 8,000 paper cups each minute.