Starbucks Unveils New Cup Policy

Starbucks just announced a new policy that will likely make environmentalists happy. The coffee chain will now allow customers to use cups they brought from home even if they're picking up their drinks at the drive-thru or ordering in advance with the mobile app. That should reduce the use of disposable cups and hopefully cut back on waste and litter.

Starbucks has long allowed customers to bring their own drinking vessel into the cafe – they even offer a small discount, incentivizing customers to go green. However, those in a rush typically missed out on this policy because it wasn't possible to use your own cup when ordering in advance on the mobile app, and it wasn't typically done in the drive-thru either. Now, the company is encouraging customers to do both. At the drive-thru, customers can simply tell the barista that they've brought their own cup while ordering at the speaker, and it will be filled when they get to the window.

As for mobile orders, customers can now find a new option in the Starbucks app. When ordering a drink, users should open the "customization" menu and select the "personal cup" button. If they order a drink this way, it will be mixed but not served. When they arrive, they'll need to flag down the barista at the pickup area and hand over their cup.

Bringing your own cup gets you a 10-cent discount on your order, whether you do so in the cafe, at the drive-thru or on the mobile app. In the Starbucks app, bringing your own cup also gets you 25 bonus stars. Stars add up to earn you rewards including free drinks or bakery items, so this can go a long way for frequent customers.

The biggest catch to this policy is that customers must bring their reusable cup to the store when it is clean, meaning that commuters can't simply leave their thermos in the car and re-order day after day. For sanitary reasons, baristas are not allowed to clean personal cups in the cafe. However, according to Starbucks' website, any "personal cup" is fair game. Presumably, that precludes larger vessels meant to serve more than one person.

Any drink can be ordered – any size, hot or cold, with any ingredients – as long as it will fit into the cup they're bringing. Starbucks' "short" is 8 fluid ounces, "tall" is 12 ounces, "grande" is 16 ounces, "venti" is 20 ounces and "trenta" is 30 ounces. Trenta is only available for iced beverages. Starbucks' new personal cup policy is in effect now, and many reusable cups are available in the cafe for customers.