Blue Bottle, aiming for 'zero waste' in 2020, could eliminate to-go coffee cups

Blue Bottle's initial pivot to compostables and new moves towards further waste reduction reflects growing trends as companies acknowledge consumer demands. Meehan said the new decision was ultimately motivated by concerns about climate change and cues from Nestlé, which acquired a 68% stake in Blue Bottle two years ago. Nestlé has pledged to make all its packaging reusable or recyclable by 2025, in addition to going carbon neutral by 2050. 

Last March, Starbucks announced a trial for recyclable and compostable cups, along with pledging a phase-out of all plastic straws from its stores by 2020. Dunkin' has meanwhile been in the process of fully abandoning polystyrene foam cups by April 2020 as the company moves to a fiber and plastic-based alternative.  

But Blue Bottle's change marks a potentially more dramatic trend. ​Compostables — including bioplastics — are becoming a popular alternative to plastics, which increasingly face regulations amid public outcry over marine debris and other litter. However, for a variety of reasons, compostables can still wind up in landfills where they produce methane. Read Full Article - Waste Dive, December 13, 2019