Starbucks’ new reusable cup initiative draws backlash due to COVID safety concerns

A new reusable cup plan unveiled by Starbucks is drawing criticism for starting the program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

People used social media to say there’s an added safety risk to reusing cups in the age of COVID-19 and with that in mind, Starbucks is still not allowing customers to use their own mugs and tumblers.

The Borrow a Cup program will be in place at five Seattle stores for a two-month trial period, a news release from Starbucks said. Customers can choose to order a drink in a reusable “lightweight polypropylene plastic” cup, a tweet from the company said, then return the cup to a participating store’s contactless kiosk for it to be sanitized and reused.

Patrons can also request a regular paper cup.

“Promoting reusability is an important part of Starbucks goal to reduce waste by 50% by 2030,” Michael Kobori, Starbucks chief sustainability officer, said in the release. “We understand the interdependency of human and planetary health, and we believe it is our responsibility to reduce single use cup waste.”

While some online users applauded the company’s green initiative, many critics shared some different sentiments: Is this safe in a pandemic? And if so, why can’t customers use their own reusable cups?

“[Sadly], for the past year I have been forbidden from using any of my (many) Starbucks mugs or tumblers and been forced to add to the waste stream,” a reply to Starbucks’s announcement on Twitter read.

“Might have been smarter to do BEFORE the pandemic … Do you think this is going to work during/right after a highly contagious respiratory virus pandemic? Might want to delay it a bit,” another user tweeted.

Starbucks responded to a few of the critics.

“We are pausing the use of personal cups and ‘for here’ ware in our stores. We will continue to honor the $.10 discount for anyone who brings in a personal cup or asks for ‘for here’ ware,” Starbucks tweeted.

“We implemented several safety precautions when developing this program. The return kiosk is contactless, we are following all COVID guidelines in-store, and we are using a commercial [third] party service to ensure the cups are cleaned and sanitized,” Starbucks responded when prompted about COVID concerns.

A spokesperson for Starbucks sent this statement to McClatchy regarding the concerns expressed online:

“Is this safe in a pandemic? And if so, why can’t customers use their own reusable cups?”

“Yes. The CDC’s guidance maintains there is minimal risk of exposure from surfaces when regularly cleaned and disinfected. There is no added risk of fomite transfer from using a reusable cup. The reusable cups used for this program are kept behind the bar alongside single use cups. Only baristas and the customer receiving the beverage are touching the cups. GO Box, our cleaning supplier, will collect the cups from Starbucks daily, professionally clean and sanitize them using commercial dishwashing equipment, and put them back in circulation. Additionally, Starbucks return kiosks are contactless, and the company continues to observe elevated cleaning and sanitizing protocols that meet or exceed public health guidelines and can help to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

“To answer their questions on using their personal cups, Starbucks is not yet accepting personal cups in the U.S. and Canada. The decision to pause personal cup use was made early in the pandemic and continues today as the health and well-being of our partners and customers remains top of mind and our highest priority. A key difference with this program is that baristas will not be handling used cups.”

As of Wednesday, the Washington State Department of Health reported 346,420 cases of COVID-19 and 5,299 deaths. The state has given more than 3.7 million doses of the vaccine, according to the agency.