Citing sustainability, Starbucks wants to overhaul its iconic cup. Will customers go along?

By PETER PRENGAMAN
Associated Press

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — For a generation and more, Starbucks’ throwaway cup has been a cornerstone of consumer society, first in the United States and then globally. It has also carried a message: I am drinking recognizable coffee. Now, in the name of the environment and sustainability, the company’s disposable cup may be on its way to extinction thanks to an unlikely force: Starbucks itself. It’s part of the company’s goals to cut waste, water use and carbon emissions in half by 2030. Pulling that off will be tricky. It’s fraught with risks and provides a window into what companies must do to go from ambitious sustainability targets to meeting those goals.