Don’t Toss That Cup: McDonald’s and Starbucks Are Developing Reusables with CupClub
20 February 2020
It's official - CupClub has launched on the West Coast across the city of Palo Alto. This marks our first entry into the US market. CupClub works with Closed Loop Partners and IDEO at the forefront of a transformative movement in the packaging industry, revolutionising the linear journey of products into a circular, sustainable model. As a key participant, we worked with NextGen Consortium brands including Starbucks, Nestle, Wendy's and McDonald's to pilot reusable cup solutions in North America.
The report highlights key learnings across the pilots from three different reuse companies and the core principles that reuse models rely on for success including environmental positivity, stringent safety and hygiene standards, seamless user experiences, and a clear pathway to scalable operations.
Read the full 'Bringing Reusable Packaging Systems to Life' Report here >>
Bridget Croke, Managing Director, Closed Loop Partners:
“We are on the cusp of a reuse revolution and expect to see more big innovations related to other applications, such as shopping bags and food packaging. Reuse will be a growing part of the plastic solution portfolio used by brands and retailers. It’s certainly not going to solve the whole plastic waste challenge, but as more of these models come to market, we are excited to see new solutions that collectively build reuse back into our cultural and behavioural norms.”
Michael Kobori, Chief Sustainability Officer, Starbucks said:
“In order to inspire the lasting behavior change from single-use to reusables – which is something Starbucks and many of our partners and customers are advocating for – we need to create a reusable system that is easy to engage with and seamless to use.”
Sue Fangmann, U.S. Supply Chain Services Director, McDonald’s said:
“In order for reusable packaging systems to be a viable solution, they need to address the systemic infrastructure challenges. The value of this system’s model lies in its networked approach, which is one of the reasons we joined the NextGen Consortium. Collaborating to innovate and test solutions is essential to achieving our ambition of increasing circularity for McDonald’s packaging and at industry-wide scale.”
Safia Qureshi, Founder/CEO, CupClub said:
“The strategy has changed dramatically over the last year to respond to city legislation and speed up the transition to zero waste. How do we design for reuse whilst providing the highest standards of quality and convenience? Our partnerships ensure we are building a network of stakeholders that can help us scale operations, whilst maintaining the highest standards required.”
We continue to actively engage in experimentation and collaboration with major brands to test various aspects of reusable packaging systems ensuring we can offer the best reuse option.
