S.T.A.R. - Striving To Always Recycle

In looking at other coffee cup ideas i have concluded this:

-collapsable cups are intriguing, but can potentially have many errors (leaking, not functioning properly, breaking, heat resistance issues etc.)

- the cups should not be made to be thrown away.

   We need to get rid of this idea of disposable cups!

-the mug needs to be made from 100% recycled materials and not be made to be thrown away. (can i stress this enough?!)

-the mug to be different so that people recognize what it is           

-the customer MUST be made to reuse the cup

-the process must be SIMPLE- reward programs and point systems are to confusing and take to much effort to calculate.

-customer must feel/know they are directly helping the effort

-customers must feel that they are benefiting /be rewarded

-the company must also benefit financially from it in the long run

So, Here is my Idea :

1. At all Starbucks Locations Have a recycle discount

        -35% off a TO STAY drink when you recycle 2 glass jars, or a certain

          amount/type of plastic.

            + also advertise facts such as: it takes aprox. 1 million years for glass to 

                 decompose! - so why not recycle it and use it to make stuff!

2. Use these items to create

        -cool travel mugs out of glass

                  +Glass is one of the very few products that can be completely

                      recycled again and is easily found in every household, in addition

                     the recycling process of it consumes very little electricity, therefore

                      conserving energy, decreasing output of carbon dioxide and

                      nitrogen oxide ( greenhouse gases)

                  +styled like large canning jars with a relief of the Starbucks

                     logo or somtething

                   +measurements on the side for the barista- tall, grande, venti,

         - interchangeable sleeves/handles in cool colors and shapes out of plastic

                  +with an open spot for the logo on the glass

         -lids in the classic coffee cup form made from black silicon

   *the cup would need to be sold for a higher price than the average travel mug,

      like $60 or something (maybe you get a discount if it was recorded you  

         earlier recycled materials at starbucks)

3. THE MAIN IDEA: secure a barcode/chip in/at the base of the mug

         -The chip acts as a prepaid card that gives the customer a percentage off

           (like 40%). Minimum load would be $25. So if you buy $100 on the card

           you get $140 to spend on coffee.

        - DOING THIS MAKES PEOPLE NOT WANT TO FORGE THE CUP!

                +perhaps the discount lasts for 1/4 the average time it takes for a

                  paper cup to decompose in a landfill : i think full life is 20 yrs.

                 +after which you receive a lesser discount

4. Start charging extra for coffee in paper cups (like 75 cents or a buck)

5. Create a Sink area with bio friendly cleaner, and a timed water faucet so that

     customers can clean their own cups to reduce "germy-ness"

         -FYI soap is AWEFUL for cleaning coffee containers- baking soda and salt

             are better!

The last step is to ADVERTISE! put these mugs in movies, TV ads, MTV (hit up the young kids who will be entering the wonderful world of coffee!) make it sexy to reuse mugs!

This idea also allows the company to be able to offset the lost money from the discount mug because they are collecting some raw materials for the mugs, having the mugs themselves cost more, and having a min load amount on the card!

With this system we are involving customers in a simple, straightforward reward for choosing to help the environment!

I might also add that It would be best if all coffee places would accept the cup, and also charge extra on paper cups. but who knows where this idea could go!