Here's How To Grab A Free Reusable Cup At Starbucks This Week

Popular coffee chain Starbucks recently made headlines by announcing a plan to phase out its iconic paper cups by 2025. Calling their cups a "ubiquitous symbol of a throwaway society," Michael Kobori, the chief sustainability officer at Starbucks, explained that the company plans to do away with its disposable paper coffee cups within the next three years, according to CNN.

From their famous logo to their occasionally-controversial holiday designs, Starbucks cups are almost instantly recognizable – but they are also wasteful. So in lieu of serving their hot beverages in disposable containers, the company announced its plans to introduce a borrow-a-cup program, which has already undergone a test run in some Seattle locations (via Food & Wine). While this program will enable people to borrow a reusable cup for a small deposit and then return it back to a Starbucks location, Starbucks customers don't have to wait until 2025 to do away with single-use cups. Any Starbucks customer can have their favorite drink served in their own reusable to-go mugs. But if you don't own one those, never fear — this week, Starbucks fans will have the chance to snag their own reusable Starbucks cup for free.

To celebrate Earth Day, which lands on Friday, April 22, 2022, Starbucks has announced that the company will be offering its customers the opportunity to add a more environmentally sustainable, reusable to-go Starbucks cup to their collection at zero cost. All they have to do is make a purchase of $5 or more using PayPal from now through April 30, according to Totally the Bomb. Coffee drinkers can either make their purchase in-store or simply use PayPal to load five or more dollars onto their Starbucks mobile app. Once a purchase is made, they'll then receive a coupon in their Starbucks rewards account that can be redeemed at participating Starbucks locations for either a 24-ounce Cold To-Go Cup or a 16-ounce Siren Logo Plastic Hot Cup. 

The coupons for these free cups will be valid through May 7. As an added perk, all customers who bring any reusable cups to their local Starbucks will also receive a $.10 discount on each order. So now, there is really no reason not to bring a durable to-go mug along on your next Starbucks visit — both your wallet and the environment will thank you for it.