At Starbucks, coffee has always been at the heart of everything. But so has community and sustainability. That’s why the global coffee brand is championing a quiet revolution in how we consume, reuse, and think about our daily rituals. Enter the Reusable Coffee Grounds Cup, a small innovation with a big message: Yesterday’s coffee can power a more sustainable tomorrow.
“For us, sustainability is more than a goal. It’s a responsibility,” says Leah McCrae, Managing Director of Rand Capital Coffee, Licensee Starbucks SA. And that responsibility is being met with bold, measurable action. By 2030, Starbucks has pledged to cut its waste in half. This is not just an aspiration, it’s a movement already well underway.
In 2023, the company unveiled the next evolution: The Reusable Coffee Grounds Cup. This new iteration goes even further, combining 70% recycled plastic with 20% used Starbucks coffee grounds. The result? A cup that not only diverts waste from landfill, but also reimagines it as part of a better everyday.
“It’s about closing the loop,” McCrae explains. “We’re taking something that would otherwise be discarded coffee grounds and giving it new life. It’s a tangible way for customers to participate in sustainability, one coffee at a time.”
Each time a customer chooses this cup, they’re making a conscious decision to support a greener planet. It’s sustainability that feels personal, tactile, and immediate. And it reinforces the idea that small choices when multiplied across millions of coffee lovers, can create meaningful change.
Of course, this isn’t just about one product. The Reusable Coffee Grounds Cup is part of a broader commitment from Starbucks to rethink waste, reduce its environmental impact, and empower communities to do the same. From composting initiatives and ethical sourcing, to encouraging customers to bring their own cups, the brand is embedding sustainability into every layer of its operations.
Every cup has a story. But this one is about more than just coffee. It’s about transformation. It’s about taking something used and turning it into something useful. And it’s about reimagining our daily routines not as static habits, but as opportunities for positive change.
So next time you order your favourite drink, consider what your cup says about you and the world you want to build. The Reusable Coffee Grounds Cup doesn’t just carry your coffee. It carries your values, your choices, and your commitment to a planet that needs all of us to do better.