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Citing sustainability, Starbucks wants to overhaul its iconic cup. Will customers go along?

16 Comments
By PETER PRENGAMAN

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16 Comments
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I never use public wi-fi. Unsafe.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Starbucks was the first reliably non-smoking place to meet people in Japan. And they had soya milk.

When not meeting anyone, a flask of tea (on cool days) or a bottle of filtered tap water (on warm days) does for me.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Their mugs are made in China and are amazingly overpriced. Want to have a program allow any cup. Sadly it seems like a PR stunt that had gotten free advertising. Even on paper cups they use plastic lids and because the lids are white they can not be recycled.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Good luck.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Last week I went to a Starbucks for a coffee. They gave us real cups. Why do people need wifi? Are they so poor you don't have a DATA plan?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

bass4funk

>    Are they so poor you don't have a DATA plan?

> it depends on the person, it has nothing to do with being poor, at least not in my case, for example, in my job in line of work. I am what you would call a heavy user, so 50 GB is really nothing for me. I can burn through that in three days or less, so the free Wi-Fi helps a lot.

I have doubts you would use 50GB of mobile DATA every three days. The average mobile DATA use is 10GB/month. You use 500 GB/month.

There are unlimited DATA plans.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I never use public wi-fi. Unsafe.

Use a VPN. Better yet use TOR over a VPN.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Just another advertisement for a company that, in my opinion, has brainwashed it's customers into thinking their product is worth the money they pay.

Starbucks coffee sucks. They are a "drink" store.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

I don't care. I go to Starbucks for their great WIFI, that's the ONLY thing I care about.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

リッチToday  02:34 pm JST

Their mugs are made in China and are amazingly overpriced. Want to have a program allow any cup. Sadly it seems like a PR stunt that had gotten free advertising. Even on paper cups they use plastic lids and because the lids are white they can not be recycled.

I rarely go to Starbucks and am not fond of their coffee or shops but come on.

What's so wrong with this initiative? Bring your own cup/mug/thermos, get it washed and dried, and get a cup of coffee with a $1.00 discount. I could see it being a PR stunt if the concept was dumb but it's a well thought out idea that's easy for customers.

It's a new initiative that seems be working fine in Arizona and other states plus a lot of their paper cups are 30% recycled. Name me even one coffee shop chain trying to change things for the better. As if Japanese coffee shops could come up with a similar initiative.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

For many years I would always bring my own well insulated Aladdin mug and have the barista at whatever coffee shop I patronized fill it with my coffee of choice. This was true everywhere, not just the increasingly rare occasions I flopped on the mermaid's beach. But when the pandemic hit nobody was accepting personal mugs. Nein, ist verbotten! Everyone was required to take a paper cup for the health and safety of the baristas. I did so, and promptly poured the contents into my mug and went on my way. Now it appears the tables have turned and a personal mug is not just accepted but preferred. Will wonders never cease?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Desert Tortoise............Good comment, if only more people woke up to this. I always use a VPN and TOR and its amazing how much crap it keeps off ones computer, and of course, one is almost untraceable. As for Starbucks and their cups, I suppose its good they want to cut down waste etc...as for the coffee, no comment, I have never been in one of their places, nor any other fast food/coffee places, including KCF and McDonalds etc..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Me too. It just doesn't work.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

There are so many better cafes especially in Kyoto than Starbucks. Ex. Terramachi Cafe locally runed coffee shop in Kyoto. There are so many more. Kanazawa also has many great locally ran coffee shops as well.

About Starbucks in my opinion the Starbucks coffee it is absolutely terrible, I thought so after first trying it in 1997 and I still do now. I can care less what they do with their cup.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Are they so poor you don't have a DATA plan?

it depends on the person, it has nothing to do with being poor, at least not in my case, for example, in my job in line of work. I am what you would call a heavy user, so 50 GB is really nothing for me. I can burn through that in three days or less, so the free Wi-Fi helps a lot.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Token gesture by a beastly company that will do anything to get free advertising and fill their coffers.

I never frequent these places, I will find family run cafes, better atmosphere and coffee and cheaper prices, you see.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

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