Starting our days with a hot drink is something of a status quo, with the sensation of heavy bodies, sleepy minds and lack of motivation sitting sullenly in the mind’s corner. As a modern country, thriving on magical wake-up juice is fairly standard. In particular, the average dose of tea and coffee.
Whilst Starbucks has not received the best press in the UK thus far, but a clever idea in the form of a coffee cup may be the way of winning customer hearts once more.
In an effort to be more conscious of the environment, the coffee-chain has produced a reusable cup. Costing £1, the high-quality cup looks nearly indistinguishable to its disposable cousin, but for a 25p discount on your order, the cup can be used order after order. For the desk-jockey to the world-weary student, the cup is hassle-free and made from a tough, light material.
Despite the controversy over failures to pay UK corporation tax – an ongoing problem – the American chain is determined to press on with plans regarding the expansion of their caffeine regime. As a result, 300 new branches and 5,000 job vacancies are to be opened by 2016.
With regards to the new, reusable cup, Ian Cranna, vice-president of UK marketing for Starbucks, said: “We know that our customers really care about saving money and doing their bit for the environment; between 2008 and 2012 the number of people using a Starbucks reusable tumbler increased by 235% and our new reusable cup is a low-cost, high-impact way to help make a difference on reducing waste.”
The aim is for 5% of drinks in Starbucks stores to be served in reusable cups by 2015. Starbucks considers the UK to be the biggest investments for what it considers to be an environmentally-advantageous move.