Starbucks fans are not hot about this cold drink change.
Cold coffee orders will no longer come in a plastic cup in some Starbucks locations — rather, they’ll be served in fiber-based compostable cold cups.
The new disposable drinkware is made from molded fiber and comes with both flat or dome-shaped lids to accommodate both regular iced drinks as well as whipped drinks like frappuccinos.
The coffee chain has swapped their transparent single-use plastic to-go cups for these opaque white compostable cups in 14 different states.
States that will start to see the new cups include California, Washington, Hawaii, Minnesota, Arizona, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Michigan, Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia, South Carolina, Colorado and Georgia.
“A small number of stores in 14 states switched to commercially compostable cups and lids as part of our efforts to reduce waste and meet local market requirements,” a spokesperson told FOX Business.
Starbucks has a goal to make their cups entirely compostable, recyclable or reusable by 2030, according to their website.
Though the switch-up is a step in the right direction for the company’s sustainability goals and complies with local law mandates, many Starbucks lovers are not happy with the change, claiming that the new lids are difficult to drink out of.
“Trying to sip cold foam through them is awful. The lid has an odd taste and texture and the hole is too small,” one person said on Reddit.
“I’ve never missed that little indent in the top more. Might actually have to start bringing my own cup,” another shared.
“The cups are seriously terrible,” someone else said, while another declared it the “worst lid in history.”
“These cups are a crime against coffee,” one person wrote.
Others noted that the lack of a clear cup will stop people from ordering “TikTok drinks,” saying that you “can’t flaunt a drink if it’s hidden.”
“Does this mean we can stop all the stupid Instagrammable layered drinks now????? I’m sick of needing to stir everything together because it was made to be photogenic over drinkable!”
“Once customers no longer get likes for funny-looking drinks, they’ll have to buy drinks that they — gasp — actually want to drink,” someone else wrote.
For customers who really don’t want to use these new cups, Starbucks said you can still bring your own drinwkare.
“As an alternative, customers are welcome to bring in their clean, personal reusable cup or order their beverage ‘for here’ to have their beverage served in a ceramic mug or glass,” the spokesperson told FOX Business.
Starbucks recently reinstated its free refill policy — but customers have to stay at the coffee shop.
Those who order “for here” will get their drink served in a ceramic mug, glass or a personal cup. These people will be able to get free refills during their visit on hot brewed or iced coffee, or hot or iced tea.
Customers must have their first drink served in one of these reusable cups in order to receive free refills.
