Dunkin' is the latest restaurant chain to take a big, if obvious, step in the right direction by doing away with its styrofoam cups.
Not only are the hot coffee cups going away but it's going to bring an end to the tradition that many Dunkin' customers have of "double cupping" or, rather, putting the foam cup around the outside of a cold drink plastic cup.
Tweet may have been deleted
A full move to paper cups is a long time coming, with CNN noting that Dunkin' first made the announcement in early 2018. The rollout of the new double-walled papers cups has been an ongoing campaign but the end of the foam cup will be complete by April 2020.
The new double-walled paper cups are lined with plastic to help keep the hot coffee inside from burning the hands that hold it. And while the cups meet the the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard, they're still not fully recyclable; Dunkin' will leave how much of the cup is recycled up to local and state recycling services.
As for the reaction by customers, well, to say it's been mixed would be one way to put it. Which is why Dunkin' is putting a lot of efforts into this pun-rich campaign because if there's one thing New Englanders are known for, it's being laid back and easy going.
For what its worth, Starbucks has faced a similar issues with its cups and has been rolling out new sustainability efforts. In July 2018, the Seattle chain announced it was moving over to new "cold lids" to reduce its use of straws.
Topics Sustainability
