Starbucks is rolling out a $1 reusable plastic cup that resembles its iconic white cup, NBC News reported. The company is hoping customers will think about the environment and bring the plastic cups back to stores for coffee refills. “I think it’s a good first step because it does raise awareness,” said Julie Urlaub, founder and managing partner of environmental consulting firm Taiga Company. “This is a campaign that’s in alignment with the company’s values and their sustainability plan.” Starbucks acknowledged that its 2008 goal to have 25 percent of its beverages served in reusable cups by 2015 had stalled, even with the incentive of a 10-cent discount; three years into the initiative, just under 2 percent of drinks were served in reusable mugs. The company modified its goal to a more modest 5 percent. It also began test-marketing what it calls a “high quality, low cost” reusable plastic cup that can hold tall or grande size drinks at 600 Pacific Northwest-area stores in October. Starbucks now is introducing the cups to all of its U.S. and Canadian company-owned stores and some licensed coffee shops.
