Climate Adaptation
Starbucks to End Disposable Cup Use in South Korea by 2025
- Coffee chain is seeking to cut waste and emissions globally
- Korea will be first Starbucks market to halt single-use cups
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Starbucks Corp. plans to eliminate disposable cups from its cafes across South Korea by 2025, the first such measure in a major market by the coffee giant, as it seeks to curb landfill waste and cut its carbon footprint.
The Seattle-based chain will launch a “cup circularity” program in South Korea, starting July, as it begins tackling its global refuse, which accounted for about 9% of its 16 million-ton carbon footprint in 2018. Under the program, customers will be served beverages in reusable cups that require a “small deposit,” which is refunded on return to contactless kiosks, the company said in a statement Tuesday.