A trial reusable plastic cup program, involving national and local retailers alike, seeks to cut down on single-use plastics in one California town.
More than 30 restaurants across Petaluma, Calif., will serve drinks in identical purple polypropylene or high density polyethylene cups with the hope that consumers will then deposit those cups in bins located both at restaurants and in the community.
Dubbed the Petaluma Reusable Cup Project, the new project is an effort of the NextGen Consortium, an effort from circular economy investment firm Closed Loop Partners addressing single-use foodservice packaging waste.
"By testing reuse across an entire city in partnership with key stakeholders from the community and industry, we can scale reuse collaboratively through thoughtful experimentation, building a future where reuse is the norm," said Kate Daly, managing director and head of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners.
Billions of single-use cups are used in the United States each year — 50 billion according to an estimate from the Center for the Circular Economy — and most of those cups taken out of restaurants are discarded in less than an hour, Closed Loop said.
The Petaluma project aims to instead create a system where cups are placed in specialized collection containers, washed and reused again and again. Reusable container company Muuse is managing logistics of the program. Return locations will be located at participating restaurants as well as another couple of dozen bins elsewhere around the city.
"Imagine a neighborhood where all to-go cups are reusable, and returning these cups required no extra steps. By making reusable cups as convenient and accessible as single use, we can offer an alternative for residents when they forget to bring their own cups with them," said Leslie Lukacs, executive director of Zero Waste Sonoma, a local governmental agency involved in recycling and waste management.
Consumers will be able to start using the reusable cups Aug. 5. The program will last for three months.
Starbucks, which has for years has tried to make inroads into cutting its to-go cup waste stream, is a prominent participant in the Petaluma project with eight locations involved.
The company ultimately would like to eliminate single-use cups, but that's a long way off.
"It takes an entire community to build the future of reuse that we want to see," said Michael Kobori, Starbucks chief sustainability officer, in a statement. "Our environmental promise is core to our business and that's why we're working toward a future vision of every Starbucks beverage served in a reusable cup."
Other companies participating in the project include, Peet's Coffee, KFC, Dunkin', The Habit Burger Grill owned by Yum! Brands, and several local cafes and restaurants.
Petaluma, about 40 miles north of San Francisco, was selected because businesses and consumers have shown a past receptiveness to reuse programs. Starbucks previously tested a separate returnable cup program at certain locations in Petaluma in 2023.
"The city of Petaluma is laying the groundwork to make cup reuse not only an option, but the default," Mayor Kevin McDonnell said in a statement. "We have an amazing, engaged community."
Closed Loop also said geography played a role in determining where to conduct the pilot program.
"The size and dense layout of downtown Petaluma, with its tight cluster of restaurants and local shops within walking distance, and proximity to suburban and rural areas, creates the right conditions for testing a reuse system for to-go cups," Closed Loop said.
Project organizers said PP cups will be used for hot drinks and at many locations serving iced drinks. Some locations with soda fountains or iced beverages will use HDPE cups.