May 3, 2022
(press release)
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The initiative marks a milestone in Starbucks' journey to becoming a resource-positive company, with the aspiration to protect the future of the planet, working together with customers, store associates and like-minded organizations to promote sustainability Starbucks Brazil recently announced the launch of a new cup recycling initiative through the Ciclobom circular economy project - developed by BO Packaging with the support of paperboard producer Ibema and smart reverse logistics startup Green Mining - to new life to single-use cups, transforming them into cup gloves for hot drinks. As part of Starbucks' global goal of reducing store and factory waste sent to landfill by 50% by 2030, the company remains committed to developing innovative sustainability initiatives, driven by a broader shift towards a circular economy. First launched in 2021 as a pilot program at three Starbucks stores in São Paulo, Projeto Ciclobom recycles the brand’s iconic white paper cups and gives them new life, turning them into cup gloves. After just eleven months, the project has collected and recycled more than 80,000 cups. Ciclobom is now available in 9 stores in São Paulo, with the intention of expanding to 60 stores across Brazil by the end of the year. Starbucks Brazil customers can support Project Ciclobom by disposing of their single-use paper cups in designated collection boxes installed in selected stores. Then, Green Mining collects the cups and sends them to be processed by Ibema through a system that uses low water resources to separate the plastic layer from the paper. The plastic is sent for recycling while the paper fibers are transformed into 30% post-consumer recycled cardboard to become, in the future, a new sleeve for Starbucks cups, used for hot drinks. Efforts to reduce single-use cup waste are nothing new for Starbucks. And now, creating more options for people to enjoy their beverages—generally promoting reuse—is a key part of Starbucks' ongoing global commitment to reduce store and factory waste sent to landfill by 50% by 2030, with based on the Starbucks Global Greener Cup timeline, which traces the company's recent milestones. The brand's goal by 2025 is to create a cultural movement towards reducing waste by providing easy access to reusable cups, making it more convenient for customers to enjoy their 'Starbucks Experience' with their cups and personal items. Around the world, several programs and operating models are being tested with this goal in mind, such as Lend a Glass, where customers order their drink in a returnable cup offered by Starbucks; 100% Reusable Operating Models, which consider the total elimination of single-use cups, in favor of reusable ones, personal cups or crockery for local consumption; and Personal Cups and For-Here-Ware Mugs, to encourage customers to bring their own cups and emphasize the Starbucks-provided local cup as the standard in-store drinking experience. In Brazil, for customers who want to stay, sit down and enjoy the physical experience of coffee at Starbucks stores, employees can now offer the option of serving drinks in a mug offered by Starbucks as a local consumption experience with greater awareness of the planet.
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