Friday Feature: Empty Starbucks Cups

One of my ongoing resolutions has been to use less paper and plastic. At home, inexpensive cloth napkins have replaced paper napkins, microfiber cloths have stepped in for paper towels and I'm trying to get into the habit of trading my bottled water for a reusable Starbucks water bottle. And, at Starbucks, I'm skipping the straw in favor of its reusable counterpart.

Although this is something I started by choice pre-pandemic, it turns out that the pandemic has made forgoing things like straws at Starbucks less of a choice. Hit by the same supply chain issues that have caused the price of things like plywood and toilet paper to go up, Starbucks is finding it harder to get not only straws and cup lids but, in some cases, the ingredients for the beverages that go inside the cups. As someone who frequents my local Starbucks (the baristas recognize my voice over the loudspeaker and/or know my name from my drink order), I'm a loyal customer who's unlikely to find a substitute for my drink someplace else. Then again, my drink of choice hasn't been hit by the supply chain issues (yet). And, as someone who's tried making the "same" drink at home, I'm sure I'll absorb the price increase that is almost certainly right around the corner. 

Meanwhile, I think it's time to dust off my reusable cup. Just in case.