Starbucks is giving its plastic cups a makeover

The next time you order an iced coffee from Starbucks, it might not look that different but there’s been a major change to it.

The next time you order an iced coffee from Starbucks, it might not look that different — but there’s been a major change. The chain announced Thursday that the plastic cups for all sizes of its cold drinks have undergone an environmentally friendly redesign that uses up to 20% less plastic compared to the current version. The redesign is the company’s latest effort to reduce the environmental impacts from its cups, which have been criticized for piling up waste. The new cups were developed internally at Starbucks as part of its ongoing sustainability efforts to reduce its waste and carbon output in half by 2030. Similar to other large companies, the chain wants to cut down on its reliance on plastic because the material is mostly made from polymers created from dangerous fossil fuels. The new cups will debut at select US and Canada locations this year, with the full rollout expected to be complete by spring 2025. In addition to using less plastic for the cups themselves — Starbucks projects the new cups will save more than 13.5 million pounds of plastic going to landfills annually — it is “projected to reduce emissions and conserve water in the production process,” the chain said. Starbucks said it conducted tests with baristas and customers to ensure the changeover doesn’t reduce the cups’ sturdiness or ability to keep drinks cold.