Starbucks Just Made This Big Change to How Customers Receive Their Drinks—Here's What You Need to Know

Nathan Hutsenpiller

18 February 2025 at 6:30 pm·2-min read

Starbucks is furthering its conservation efforts this year by moving away from plastic cups. The popular coffee chain recently cut nearly 30-percent of its menu as part of a new “turnaround plan,” along with a simultaneous overhaul of the Starbucks apps’ order limit. These changes affect a large number of Starbucks locations nationwide, however, even more changes are on the horizon for specific regions across the U.S.

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Rolling out on February 11, customers in several states began receiving non-plastic cups when they order cold drinks at Starbucks locations. The coffee giant’s home state of Washington is one of the 14 states set to be a part of the transition, however, not all stores in these states will participate. The new opaque cold cups will be made of a fiber-based paperboard with bioplastic linings and are said to resemble the cups usually used for hot drinks.

According to Starbucks, the move to non-plastic cups can be attributed to two reasons. One, Starbucks has a goal set in place to make all packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2030. This commitment takes time and a lot of money to pull off, which brings us to the second reason for the transition: legislation. Starbucks is continuously adjusting its offerings as local governments around the country pass legislation requiring transitions away from single-use plastic.

As we mentioned before, not all stores are making the switch to the new non-plastic cups, however, the following states are confirmed to have some stores in participation: California, Washington, Hawaii, Minnesota, Arizona, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Michigan, Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia, South Carolina, Colorado and Georgia.

All is not lost for those who may not be a fan of the new compostable cups in light of the new changes, though. Starbucks will still offer alternatives for those who prefer to stick with plastic.

"As an alternative, customers are welcome to bring in their clean, personal reusable cup or order their beverage ‘for here’ to have their beverage served in a ceramic mug or glass," noted a Starbucks spokesperson.

In a world full of plastic products, what Starbucks is doing is very much commendable. And while consumers have rightfully had a problem with paper straws for quite some time now, that doesn’t take away from the fact that our world has become completely overrun with plastic. Any move that can offset the negative effect of an excessive amount of plastic on this planet is a welcomed move in our minds.

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