Starbucks Ditches Plastic for Compostable Cups

Starbucks is switching things up by ditching its classic clear plastic cold drink cups for something greener. At many locations, your iced latte might now come in a compostable cup—a move aimed at slashing plastic waste.

A Starbucks rep explained that the shift to compostable cups and lids is part of their push to cut waste and adapt to local regulations. So far, around 580 stores—out of the chain’s 17,000+ U.S. spots—have jumped on board. If you’re sipping an iced brew in places like California, Colorado, or Georgia, you might spot these new cups already.

On its website, in a section titled “A Better Cup for All,” Starbucks laid out the reasoning. They’re aiming for all cups to be fully compostable, recyclable, or reusable by 2030, with half the materials recycled and half less reliant on virgin fossil fuels. The new cold cups, now rolling out in the U.S. and Canada, use 10-20% less plastic, marking a step toward rethinking single-use packaging.

Starbucks isn’t stopping there. They’re also pushing “for here” mugs and glasses for in-store orders, encouraging personal cups, and testing reusable options in over 30 markets. In Petaluma, California, for example, they trialed making reusable cups the default for to-go orders citywide.

With roughly six million cold drinks sold daily—per a December 2024 CBS News report—that’s about 2.2 billion plastic cups yearly. Back in April, Starbucks unveiled these new cups, estimating they could cut 13 million pounds of plastic waste, much of which typically clogs landfills.

The eco-friendly shift is a win for the planet, but Starbucks cups always spark chatter. From holiday design debates to sustainability gripes, any tweak gets noticed—and this one’s no exception. Social media lit up with complaints about the new lids. One Reddit user grumbled that sipping cold foam through them is a letdown, citing a weird taste, odd texture, and a tiny drinking hole.

Others miss the transparency of the old cups, especially for layered or photogenic drinks. Some even mourned the loss of TikTok-worthy reveals, with one commenter noting, “Can’t show off a drink if you can’t see it.” For some content creators, TikTok food and drink posts are a big deal.

Still, plenty of folks cheered the change. “More paper, less plastic—I’m in,” one customer wrote. Another added, “If it slashes plastic waste that much, we should all be thrilled.” The cups may not be clear, but the environmental upside certainly is.

At the local WeHo Starbuck’s one barista added “customers prefer their iced drinks in the clear cups, they want to see the ice cubes and the color”.