Starbucks Sells $1 Reusable Cups at U.S. Locations

Starbucks Corp. (SBUX), the world’s largest coffee-shop operator, began selling reusable plastic cups for $1 at its U.S. and Canadian stores today.

The white plastic cup has the Starbucks logo on it and holds a tall or grande size drink, Haley Drage, a Starbucks spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. The Seattle-based brewer already offers a 10-cent discount to its customers who bring in a reusable mug.

Starbucks served 1.9 percent of drinks in customers’ personal tumblers in its global company-owned stores in 2011, according to its latest global responsibility report. It wants to serve 5 percent of beverages in reusable cups by 2015, the report shows.

Starbucks rose 0.7 percent to $55.37 at the close in New York. The shares gained 17 percent last year.

The coffee company has more than 18,000 cafes worldwide, including about 11,100 in the U.S.

To contact the reporter on this story: Leslie Patton in Chicago at lpatton5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Robin Ajello at rajello@bloomberg.net