Dunkin’ Has Officially Stopped Using Foam Cups In All Of Its Locations In Favor Of Paper Ones
Update, May 11, 2020 3:38 p.m. Hello! Good news! Dunkin has officially ditched foam cups and switched to paper ones, meeting the goal it set for itself in 2018.
As of today, 100 percent of Dunkin' locations globally have transitioned from polystyrene foam cups to paper cups. U.S. Dunkin' location will being using double-walled paper cups to serve all of their delicious hot beverages including coffee, espresso drinks, tea, and hot chocolate. While you might see a stray foam cup sticking around, they're no longer being supplied to restaurants and should be a thing of the past very soon.
This change will remove about one billion foam cups from the waste stream each year, according to the company. In addition the chain is on track to fully transition to recyclable hot coffee cup lids in U.S. locations by the end of this summer. Change is hard, but this is all good! Yay!
Update: November 18, 2019 10:33 a.m. Since Dunkin's announcement about its intent to swap to paper cups, many locations have already made the change from foam. But in the country's most Dunkin'-loving area—New England—this will be the first winter where customers will be without foam cups and the chain is taking special measures to make sure it's a smooth transition.
Dunkin' announced in a blog post that all locations in New England will be nixing foam cups by December 1, and that all US locations will be adopting it by quarter one of 2020. The company promises this new cup will keep coffee hot and hands cool without the need for a double cup or a sleeve.
But old habits die hard, so the company released a "Consciously Un-Cup-Ling" ad campaign, letting customers know about the change and discouraging them from double cupping in the meantime. Some locations are even offering cup koozies to customers to help too, according to Boston 25 News.
Change is hard, but the good news is there is still the same old coffee in that cup. I think we'll all be caffeinated and A-OK!
Original: February 27, 2018 4:28 p.m. In a move to make their company more eco-friendly, Dunkin' Donuts announced plans today to eliminate all polystyrene foam cups from their restaurants around the world by 2020.
If you're in New York City or California, you'll notice these changes much earlier. Starting this spring, Dunkin' Donuts in those two locations will replace start replacing the foam cups with new double-walled paper cups made from paperboard certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard. They will start popping up at other U.S. locations throughout the year as their supplier manufactures them.
Before you freak out over the changes, you'll be relieved to hear that while Dunkin' Donuts foam cups are soon to be a thing of the past, the re-closable lid that comes with the styrofoam cups—and are far superior to the deli-style lids on the current small paper cups at DD—aren't going anywhere.
Dunkin' Donuts promises that the heat retention properties of the new double-walled paper cup will be equal to the foam cups you're used to and will not require a paper sleeve to keep your hands from burning.
"With more than 9,000 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the U.S. alone, our decision to eliminate foam cups is significant for both our brand and our industry," Karen Raskopf, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer of Dunkin' Donuts, said in a statement. "We have a responsibility to improve our packaging, making it better for the planet while still meeting the needs of our guests. Transitioning away from foam has been a critical goal for Dunkin' Donuts U.S., and with the double-walled cup, we will be able to offer a replacement that meets the needs and expectations of both our customers and the communities we serve."
This transition from foam to paper cups will remove almost one billion foam cups from going into landfills every year, the brand said.
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