Dunkin’ Donuts’ Double Cup is Breaking Up
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Dunkin’ Donuts and polystyrene are consciously un-cup-ling.
The nation that runs on Dunkin’ is all-too-familiar with those branded foam cups—often doubled up to act as an insulating sleeve.
But it takes styrofoam hundreds of years to biodegrade. Which means every single Dunkin’ Donuts cup discarded over the company’s seven-decade history is still sitting in a landfill somewhere (if it’s not been consumed by an animal that’s mistaken it for food).
In an effort to escape this environmentally abusive relationship, the coffee conglomerate in 2018 announced plans to eliminate all polystyrene cups in its global supply chain.
“Our decision to eliminate foam cups is significant for both our brand and our industry,” Karen Raskopf, chief communications and sustainability officer at Dunkin’ Brands, said last year in a statement. “We have a responsibility to improve our packaging, making it better for the planet while still meeting the needs of our guests.
Now, its foam phaseout has begun in New England—home to the double-cup habit—where it is expected to be complete by Dec. 1.
In its place will be a double-walled paper cup, made with Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard-certified paperboard to keep your coffee, latte, macchiato, tea, or hot chocolate warm (and your hands cool).
It even comes with the same re-closable lid you know and love.
Dunkin’ Donuts aims to eliminate foam cups worldwide in 2020. (Photo Credit: Dunkin Donuts)
This move, according to a Dunkin’ Donuts blog post, is part of the restaurant’s “commitment to serve both the planet and people responsibly.”
Patrons in Boston and Providence can expect to see slogans like “The Double Cup Is Breakin’ Up” and “Iced, Delicious, and Single” slapped across Dunkin’ locations, employees, and advertising.
“The light-hearted campaign was inspired by the feelings synonymous with the end of any significant relationship,” the company explained.
Boston 25 News even tipped giveaways to “help customers cope.”
“We know that we have some customers who have been waiting for this, and others who will miss the foam cup,” the blog said. “We know that change is hard, but that it can also be a good thing, and we hope that our customers will embrace the double-walled paper cup along with us.”
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