Starbucks, including the one in Eastern Michigan University’s Student Center, is now offering $1 reusable plastic cups to customers in an effort to promote a more environmentally friendly culture.
Starbucks is also offering a 10-cent discount to customers who utilize the reusable plastic cups that will be cleaned every visit with boiling water before being refilled.
EMU Starbucks employee Christie Redsamen said the promotion is from Jan. 3 – March 4, 2013. “It might be going on a little longer, but it depends on how long the supplies lasts,” Redsamen said. “So far we have sold 10–20 cups.”
Redsamen said the plastic coffee cups are 16 ounces.
Starbucks Director of Environmental Affairs Jim Hanna said, in a Detroit Free Press interview, he believes people will welcome the new reusable plastic cups more than they have welcomed previous environmentally friendly attempts by the company, because the new cups are being offered at a low price.
“It’s not a burden for people to buy two or three reusable plastic cups since the price is within reason,” Hanna said in a statement.
However, some people are not as convinced the reusable plastic cups will entice consumers to change their behaviors.
Mayra Rivas, a senior studying psychology with a minor in biology at EMU, said she believes she would probably have to buy a new one every time because she would never remember to bring it with her.
Rivas said it would be good for the environment, but she may still throw the plastic cups away.
“It may not make much of a difference because people might choose to throw out the cup anyways since it only costs a dollar,” Rivas said. “That dollar might not be enough to impact people not to dispose of the cup even though it is meant to be kept.”
Rivas added she was unaware Starbucks is offering reusable plastic cups.
Katelynn Kreutzman, a senior studying cognitive impairment and liberal arts at EMU, said she would use the plastic cup because it is good for the environment, but she still thinks it wouldn’t be enough to convince people to become more concerned about the environment.
“People are stuck in their ways,” Kreutzman said. “It has been done before by other coffee shops and it is a start, but I believe that Starbucks needs to do something that hasn’t been done before in order to get the attention of everyone and to spark more interest in choosing options that are better for the environment.”
Miriam Gordon from the California chapter of Clean Water Action said, in a statement, “I’m not sure that giving a discount for a better alternative will change behavior, but I welcome the effort as a step in the right direction.”
