Why is Starbucks getting rid of its iconic cups? Reusable options explained ahead of 'phasing out' stage 

American cafe company Starbucks might stop supplying their ubiquitous green-and-white and sometimes holiday-themed disposable cups, the company authorities announced on March 15.

According to the Seattle-based chain, by 2025, it hopes to "create a cultural movement towards reusables" by encouraging customers to avoid single-use paper and plastic cups and drink from reusable containers instead.

Every store location in the United States and Canada will allow customers to use their own reusable cups, whether they order a skinny latte with extra foam or plain coffee.

The cafe company will move away from single-use plastics in the coming years through several programs. Michael Kobori, Starbucks' chief sustainability officer, said the move was part of an attempt to become a "resource-positive company." Kobori said:

“This aspiration included setting ambitious 2030 targets to cut our carbon, water, and waste footprints in half."

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What initiatives have Starbucks been testing?

In Japan, Singapore and London, the coffee giant is testing a "borrow-a-cup" service, where customers can order drinks in cups that have been professionally cleaned and are meant to be returned to the company and reused by other customers. Buyers are required to pay $1 as a deposit, which is returned when cups are returned.

The company is also piloting a 100% reusable operating model in South Korea, meaning single-use cups are eliminated entirely.

Several initiatives are also being tested, including the introduction of personal cup washing stations to cafés on Arizona State University's campus and some shops in Hawaii.

Additionally, the company will also consider additional discounts - and fees - based on the participation of US customers. Starbucks has already been offering a 10-cent discount for drinks served in personal cups since 1980s.

Tests on the new policy include a 50-cent discount for customers who use reusable cups, as well as a 10-cent fee for those who get their drinks in single-use containers.

Recently, the cafe giant has experimented with reusable cups. For a few years, the coffee chain has given away in limited quantities a reusable red holiday cup.

Sustainability initiatives are picking up steam as the company contends with challenges to its business model. A growing number of Starbucks stores around the country have begun organizing in recent weeks after a location in Buffalo became the company's first-ever unionized location. There have been heated disputes between corporate officials and labor leaders during the push.

In addition to higher operating costs, the company faces fierce competition for workers as a result of inflation. It plans to increase prices in 2022 to cover some of those expenses.