If you're a regular at Starbucks, you've probably heard about the reusable cup program it launched in 2022 in an effort to reduce plastic waste and become more "planet positive."
When customers bring in a clean personal cup, they can get $0.10 off their order, and Starbucks Rewards members can get an extra 25 Bonus Stars.
But when one customer brought their reusable cup to the coffee chain, they were met with only disappointment — and then took to the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit to share their experience.
They expected their barista to simply pour the drink from a shaker into the reusable cup. But instead, they made the coffee in a disposable plastic cup, transferred it to the customer's thermos, and threw out the plastic cup. Sadly, this defeats the whole purpose of the program, even though it was likely an honest mistake.
"Like are you serious? Mind you there is 2 or 3 people in the store … it's not busy at all. Why even try and participate in their stupid reusable cup initiative when employees do stuff like this? Why even try to use less plastic when s*** like this happens???" the Reddit poster asked, clearly aggravated about the situation.
"It was just negligence, because when I've gone to other starbucks stores they put the sticker right on the cup and then pour it from the shaker in there," they said in a later comment.
Besides purchasing a reusable cup or thermos, consumers can also reduce plastic waste by recycling certain items such as soda bottles. Buying reusable products like metal razors and canvas grocery bags can cut your pollution footprint — and monthly expenses — as well.
Despite the mishap, it seems Starbucks is on the right track to becoming more sustainable, as it has a goal of cutting its waste footprint in half by 2030. But it will have to find alternatives for more than just disposable cups to meet that goal.
A former Starbucks employee commented on the thread, shedding light on the company's plastic waste problem: "Talk to the GMs, I use to work there and it's absolutely insane … not only that but how wasteful and so much plastic every fast food place goes through."
Another commenter echoed their sentiment, writing: "Wait until you realize every single food item is individually wrapped in plastic. Every loaf slice, every croissant, every sandwich, every cake pop, etc."
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