Starbucks testing 100% reusable cups in Napa, Petaluma stores

Starbucks is testing reusable cups in a dozen Napa and Petaluma stores starting Monday through Oct. 22, the coffee roasting giant announced Monday.

The pilot program, which launched two years ago globally from Japan to the headquarters cafe in Seattle as a “100% reusable model,” is designed to reduce at least half the waste circulating through its stores by 2030. The eco-conscious commitment involves using reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging.

Of course, customers at participating stores may bring their own personal cups to Starbucks cafes or drive-thrus. They may also opt to borrow a cup and then return it to a store’s smart return bin.

Starbucks teamed up with San Francisco-based Turn Systems, founded in 2012, to monitor consumer behavior through the use of collection bins. For the Starbucks test, customers bringing in their own clean personal cups will receive a 10-cent discount, an additional 25 bonus stars on the Starbucks rewards program and a chance to win prizes.

“We know our partners and customers care about the planet, and we’re proud to offer them ways to join us in making sustainable choices in their everyday lives,” Amelia Landers, vice president of Starbucks’ Business Strategy, Partner & Customer Solutions, said in a statement.

With more than 35,000 locations around the world, Starbucks has conducted reusables tests in more than 25 markets and more expected to go on board, company officials announced.