Starbucks To Go Green, Testing A Paper Cup Fee

Environmentally friendly is the new catchphrase from bans on plastic bags to recycling rewards, and it looks like Starbucks is listening. The famed coffee giant, with the mermaid logo recognizable the world over, will be testing a paper cup fee for customers who would like their coffee to go.

35 Starbucks outlets in London have started charging a 5 pence fee to customers who ordered their drinks in a standard cardboard cup. The trial will last three months, and stats from the period will be used to determine if the practice encourages people to bring their own travel mugs. Baristas will offer those drinking their coffee in the store a ceramic cup, cutting down on paper in that respect as well.

According to The Guardian, paper cups are tougher to recycle because of the cardboard they’re made with. Since the lining is hard to remove no one can really be bothered to recycle. In fact, half a million takeaway paper cups end up in the trash every day in the United Kingdom alone.

According to research conducted by Starbucks, 48% of their customers would carry a reusable cup to avoid the fee. If nothing else, at least Starbucks’ cup sales will go on the rise.