Starbucks customers in the US and Canada will only drink coffee from disposable cups. Bringing your own mugs and tumblers is temporarily prohibited.
Due to the possibility of the spread of coronavirus, the company Starbucks decided to strengthen prevention measures and switch completely to disposable tableware in order to minimize the ways of transmission of the virus and prevent its spread through reusable tableware.
Now guests of the establishment will not be able to use personal cups when buying coffee. Previously, when a customer came in with his cup, coffee shop employees would ask him to remove the lid, which supposedly reduced the chance of transmitting bacteria and viruses. Now such a measure was considered insufficient and personal utensils were banned completely. Thus, the company hopes to block the path of a possible exchange of the virus between customers and staff.
While the company advocates for increased use of reusable tableware, as more environmentally friendly, and even offering a discount at 10% for those who bring their own cup, in light of today's dangerous virus situation, the decision has been made to temporarily step back from developing environmental awareness. Moreover, the share of customers who brought reusable dishes with them was only about 5%. The good news for those who still come with their own cup, however, will be that they will still receive a discount, but at the same time they will be served coffee in a disposable cup.
But these are not the only measures the company has taken. With the virus surviving on surfaces for up to nine days, according to recent reports, coffee shop workers will pay extra attention to sanitizing and raising hygiene standards. Cleaning procedures will be revised to be more stringent, and staff will be paid additional hours spent regularly disinfecting all surfaces. The company will also reduce the number of air travel for business purposes for its employees. And besides, the number of crowded meetings and meetings will be reduced.
As Rossan Williams, the company's executive vice president, said in a March 4 address, the company has set itself two main priorities so far - "caring for the health and well-being of customers and partners" and "supporting local health officials and government leaders" in trying to contain the spread of the virus.
