Foodservice, Beverage
Starbucks is a global coffeehouse chain serving drinks in hot and cold cups. In fiscal 2025, 75% of its customer-facing packaging was reusable, recyclable or compostable.
Formats and materials the company itself reports using, in its own reporting. No pack specifications, volumes or supplier names beyond what it has published.
| Format | Material | What the company reports |
|---|---|---|
| Hot cup | Paperboard, recycled fibre | U.S. hot cups include 30% post-consumer recycled content3 |
| Cold cup | PET, rPET | Cold cups redesigned to use 10% to 20% less plastic in North America; rPET integrated in cold cups across company-owned markets3 |
| Cold cup | PP | Polypropylene cold cups earned How2Recycle 'Widely Recyclable' designation in the U.S. (February 2026)5 |
| Hot cup and lid | Paperboard, mineral coating, moulded fibre lid | Europe: takeaway cup with mineral (silica) based coating replacing the plastic lining, fibre lid with the same coating, paperboard from Northern European forests; certified home compostable and widely recyclable; in ten European countries4 |
| Straws | Plastic (eliminated) | Plastic straws eliminated since 20203 |
| Reusable cups | Mixed | Reuse: 4.6% of beverages sold in reusable cups in FY25 (2.6% in FY24); ceramic mugs, glasses and personal cups; Petaluma community-wide reusable cup project3 |
| All packaging | Recycled materials | 25% of packaging made from recycled materials in FY25 (23% in FY24, 25% in FY19)3 |
Reporting scope: Packaging data cover packaging materials used in direct operations and licensed stores and all other packaging materials purchased by Starbucks Corporation; operational packaging metrics are third-party verified by Burns & McDonnell.3
Targets and progress are taken from each company's own published reports, with a quote and a link on its page. Status shows met or missed only where the company has reported the result. No contacts, purchase volumes, supplier relationships or pack specifications are listed.
Latest reported: 75% (FY25)
From the source“Design 100% of Starbucks customer-facing packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by the end of 2030.”
Starbucks – Fiscal 2025 Global Impact Report · Jul 2026
Latest reported: 11% change vs FY19 (FY25; direction not stated in table)
From the source“Reduce virgin plastics in all packaging by 5% by the end of 2030 vs FY19.”
Starbucks – Fiscal 2025 Global Impact Report · Jul 2026
Latest reported: 4.6% of beverages (FY25)
From the source“beverages ordered in reusable cups increased by 77%”
Starbucks – Fiscal 2025 Global Impact Report · Jul 2026
Latest reported: 25% (FY25); FY19 baseline also 25%, FY24 23%; company does not say the goal is met
From the source“and utilize 25% recycled content in our packaging, dependent on recycled content availability.”
Starbucks – Fiscal 2025 Global Impact Report · Jul 2026
Every packaging and supply-chain commitment the company has published, with its baseline and the latest progress it reports. Status says met or missed only where the company states the result.
| Commitment | By | Baseline | Latest reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2030 environmental goalsDesign 100% of customer-facing packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by end of 20303 | 2030 | 67% (FY19) | 75% (76% in FY24) (2025) | In progress |
| 2030 environmental goalsReduce virgin plastics in all packaging by 5% by end of 2030 vs FY193 | 2030 | FY19 | Unsigned 11% change vs FY19 (14% in FY24); other rows in the table use minus signs for reductions, so this may be an increase (2025) | In progress |
| 2030 environmental goalsUse 25% recycled content in packaging, dependent on recycled content availability3 | 2030 | 25% (FY19) | 25% (23% in FY24) (2025) | In progress |
| 2030 environmental goals50% absolute reduction in scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions by end of 2030 vs FY193Scope 3 category 1 covers purchased goods, which include packaging (SPI note) | 2030 | FY19 | Total emissions +7% vs FY19; Scope 3 +8%; purchased goods and services 7,317,622 tCO2e vs 6,720,134 in FY19; company is reassessing the goal (2025) | In progress |
Fiscal 2025 Global Impact Report: 75% of customer-facing packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable (76% in FY24); 25% recycled materials; 4.6% of beverages in reusable cups; USD 10 million invested in Circular Services; company reassessing its 2030 emissions goal.3
Polypropylene cold cups earned How2Recycle 'Widely Recyclable' designation in the U.S., with more than 60% of U.S. households able to recycle them; work through the NextGen Consortium.5
Fiscal 2025 10-K cites EPR obligations for product packaging, plastic packaging levies and rules targeting plastic use as growing regulatory requirements.1
Starbucks launched a home-compostable, widely recyclable takeaway cup with mineral coating and fibre lid in ten European countries, made by Transcend Packaging with Qwarzo coating and Metsä Board paperboard.4
Earth Month update: boosting cup recycling access through the NextGen Consortium and supporting the Petaluma reusable cup trial.6
SPI analysis Our reading of the sourced facts above. Not company-reported, not legal advice.
Basis: Presence is taken from the 10-K store tables1 and the European cup announcement4. Starbucks is the producer for packaging used in company-operated stores and for packaging it buys for licensed stores (s3 scope note); in licensed-only markets the licensee may hold legal producer obligations. As a foodservice business with paper cups, plastic cold cups, lids and food packaging, single-use foodservice bans, PFAS limits for food contact and the EU HORECA single-use restrictions are relevant. Rule IDs are from the SPI Regulation Tracker. Applicability is SPI's reading, not legal advice.
| Jurisdiction | Rules in the Regulation Tracker |
|---|---|
| European UnionHome-compostable cup in ten European countries including Germany, France, Austria, Spain and Portugal4 |
PR-EU-008 bars single-use plastic packaging for food and drinks consumed on HORECA premises from 2030; PR-EU-002 PFAS limits apply to food-contact cups and wraps. |
| GermanyNamed market for the European cup4 |
Single-Use Plastics Fund levy covers beverage cups and takeaway food containers. |
| FranceNamed market for the European cup4 | |
| SpainNamed market for the European cup4 | |
| AustriaNamed market for the European cup4 | Tracker rule is beverage deposit; Starbucks bottled drink sales there not confirmed. |
| IrelandNot confirmed in the sources reviewed (may be within licensed 'All Other' markets) | Tracker rule is beverage DRS only. |
| PortugalNamed market for the European cup4 | Tracker rule is beverage DRS; bottled drink sales not confirmed. |
| PolandNot confirmed in the sources reviewed (may be within licensed 'All Other' markets) | Tracker rule is beverage DRS only. |
| United Kingdom524 company-operated and 900 licensed stores1 |
Plastic Packaging Tax applies to plastic cold cups and lids under 30% recycled content; England and Wales single-use plastic bans cover foodservice items. |
| United States10,047 company-operated and 6,813 licensed stores1 |
Packaging EPR in seven states, California SB 343 labelling, and EPS and PFAS foodware bans in California, Washington and Oregon. |
| Canada967 company-operated and 480 licensed stores1 |
Federal single-use plastics ban covers straws, stir sticks and certain foodservice ware. |
| IndiaNot confirmed in the sources reviewed (may be within licensed 'All Other' markets) |
Applies if Starbucks or its partner places plastic packaging or single-use items on the Indian market. |
| China8,009 company-operated stores1 | Ban on non-degradable plastic straws in food service. |
| Japan1,883 company-operated stores1 | Plastic Resource Circulation Act covers specified single-use plastic items supplied by businesses such as cutlery and straws. |
| AustraliaNot confirmed in the sources reviewed (may be within licensed 'All Other' markets) | |
| New ZealandNot confirmed in the sources reviewed (may be within licensed 'All Other' markets) | Applies if Starbucks-branded stores operate in New Zealand. |
| VietnamNot confirmed in the sources reviewed (may be within licensed 'All Other' markets) | |
| Philippines520 licensed stores1 | Licensee may be the obliged enterprise. |
| Indonesia597 licensed stores1 | Licensee may be the producer. |
| ChileLatin America licensed stores (1,813)1; Chile not named | |
| ColombiaLatin America licensed stores1; Colombia not named | |
| BrazilLatin America licensed stores1; Brazil not named | |
| KenyaNot confirmed in the sources reviewed (may be within licensed 'All Other' markets) | |
| South AfricaNot confirmed in the sources reviewed (may be within licensed 'All Other' markets) | |
| United Arab EmiratesNot confirmed in the sources reviewed (may be within licensed 'All Other' markets) | Dubai ban on single-use cups and lids from 2026 would apply directly to cafe packaging if stores operate there. |
Plastic taxes: Plastic taxes and levies in the tracker that can apply: UK Plastic Packaging Tax (PR-GB-001) on plastic cold cups and lids, Spain's non-reusable plastic packaging tax (PR-ES-001) and Germany's Single-Use Plastics Fund levy (PR-DE-002) on cups and takeaway containers. The 10-K itself flags plastic packaging levies and EPR laws as growing risks. The EU plastic own resource (PR-EU-017) is paid by Member States, not by companies.
SPI analysis Our reading of the sourced facts above. Not company-reported, not legal advice.
Starbucks buys packaging for about 41,000 stores, and its main need is cups and lids. Its 2030 goal is to make all customer-facing packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable, but progress slipped to 75% in FY25, so the remaining quarter, likely lined cups, lids and food wraps, is where change is needed. In Europe it has moved to a plastic-free, mineral-coated paper cup and fibre lid, which signals demand for barrier coatings and moulded fibre lids that meet home-compostable and recyclable claims, especially as the EU limits single-use plastic for dine-in from 2030 and PFAS in food contact. In North America it is backing polypropylene cold cups now rated widely recyclable, rPET in cold cups and 30% recycled fibre in hot cups, while its virgin plastic figure is not yet moving clearly toward the 5% cut. Reuse is growing but small at 4.6% of drinks. EPS and PFAS foodware bans in U.S. states and Canada, the UK plastic tax and Dubai's cup and lid ban add pressure. The named European suppliers are Transcend Packaging, Qwarzo and Metsä Board; beyond these, this describes demand signals, not who supplies.
What the sources reviewed do not show, or what we could not confirm. Know something we have missed? Tell the SPI team and we will check it.
Targets in the register above link to their own source. Facts are summarised in the SPI team's words; quotes are marked.
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