Dunkin’ Donuts to Start Foam Cup Phase Out

CANTON, Mass. – This spring, Dunkin’ Donuts will begin to remove white foam coffee cups from its restaurants, with the goal to eliminate them completely by 2020, The Wall Street Journal reports. The chain has been searching for a more eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative since 2011.

Dunkin’ revealed this week that the new cups will be double-walled paper cups that keep the liquid hot and won’t require a sleeve. The change will mean nearly a billion foam cups won’t be tossed, the company said. Dunkin’ also uses polystyrene foam cups for iced drinks sometimes too.

The coffee chain pointed out that most of its international stores already use paper cups, along with a Quincy, Mass., concept location. Dunkin’ Donuts in California and New York City will be first in line to receive paper cups.

McDonald’s announced last month that it, too, would be ditching foam cups by the end of this year, plus use recycled and certified sources for all fiber-based packaging by 2020. While many foam cups are comprised of recyclable plastic, the cups can be hard to recycle because many places aren’t equipped to do so. Paper cups face the same problem in that numerous recycling plants won’t accept them.