Influencer
TEXT SAMI ANTEROINEN PHOTO STARBUCKS
Cappuccino to go – with a twist!
Tell us a bit about Starbucks’ new hot cup. What has changed? Plastic-lined coffee cups can be difficult to recycle, as they often require specialist equipment to separate the plastic lining from the paper cup. Starbucks’ new hot cup looks to address a long-standing challenge for the industry, removing the plastic lining and replacing it with a mineral-based coating, so that the new cup and lid can be recycled at home, in paper recycling bins and in our select stores in Europe, subject to local municipal infrastructure and rules. Your cup is an iconic brand symbol. Does it look different? It’s the same iconic cup with a hidden difference: it looks the same, it feels the same, but your Starbucks takeaway cup just got a secret upgrade. Starbucks is an innovative global company, known for premium handcrafted products, serving the finest coffee by skilled baristas. We design the best products for our stores and ensure every cup reflects our commitment to excellence. How did you make it? We worked closely with our Welsh, Italian and Finnish suppliers, as well as rigorous testing and certification. Through a partnership with Transcend Packaging, supported by Qwarzo® technology and Metsä, Starbucks has been working on a solution that will see Starbucks EMEA remove the plastic lining in select market’s takeaway paper cups replacing it with a min- eral-based coating, and its plastic lids for a fibre alternative. Usually, cup users (e.g. Starbucks or other retailers) approach suppliers to select the most suitable product that the supplier can currently offer. In this case, Starbucks worked with suppliers to develop a totally new cup from the ground up. Adam Turner from Starbucks discusses the role of innovative packaging in the Food & Beverage industry.
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ADAM TURNER • Director of Sustainability, EMEA, at Starbucks
• Shapes sustainability strategy and enterprise governance structures for Starbucks across 40+ markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa • Has a PhD in International Environ- mental Law from the University of Cambridge (2012) • In his work, seeks to bridge environ- mental policy, organisational strategy and commercial execution
This partnership demonstrates what’s possible when global brands and packaging manufacturers work together and innovate to solve a problem.
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