Think your daily caffeine fix is expensive? Wait until they ring up the cup.
Every day thousands go to their neighborhood Starbucks for their daily coffee. Some people bring their own cups and others just throw it away when done. But now, in an effort to cut back on trash, multiple locations in London are charging customers an extra five cents for the cup, which isn’t easy to recycle because of the thin plastic layer that keeps your coffee warm.
Starbucks already offers a twenty five cent discount to anyone who brings their own cup; this charge is designed as an incentive to get people to manage their waste. The trial run is expected to last three months at which time Starbucks will evaluate how it helped and whether to expand it.
But considering London coffee drinkers throw away two point five billion cups a year compared to four billion in the US, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the idea jumps the pond.
Considering what people pay for a frappuccino I’m not sure an extra five cents will decaffeinate anyone.
About Brian
CBS News Radio national business journalist Brian Banmiller has spent more than 40 years in the news industry, covering business, politics and the economy on television, radio and in print. Currently, his “Banmiller on Business” reports are delivered to an audience of millions nationwide.
