Soon, your Dunkin’s coffee won’t come in a foam cup.
The Canton-based company announced Wednesday that it will eliminate the use of those well-known foam cups by 2020 in an effort to be more environmentally friendly.
“With more than 9,000 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in the U.S. alone, our decision to eliminate foam cups is significant for both our brand and our industry,” said Karen Raskopf, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer for Dunkin’ Brands, 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.”
In place of those cups made from polystyrene foam — commonly called Styrofoam — Dunkin’ coffee will come in double-walled paper cups.
These paper cups are already in place in most international Dunkin’ stores, the company said. Dunkin’ aims to remove them completely from all remaining locations and franchises by 2020, an effort that will begin this spring.
“Transitioning away from foam has been a critical goal for Dunkin’ Donuts U.S.,” Raskopf said in her statement, “and with the double-walled cup, we will be able to offer a replacement that meets the needs and expectations of both our customers and the communities we serve.”
The news may not be welcomed by those in the New England area who often opt to get their iced coffee “double cupped,” meaning the plastic cup sits within a foam cup, but others have long pushed to get rid of Styrofoam use in general.
Local municipalities like Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline have banned businesses from serving food or drinks in single-use, disposable polystyrene containers.
Dunkin’ Donuts says the move is in line with earlier commitments from the company to have 80 percent of its packaging certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard by the end of 2018.
