Starbucks Korea to install tumbler washers at all its stores by 2026

[Courtesy of LG Electronics Inc.]

Starbucks Korea Co. plans to introduce tumbler washers to all of its stores nationwide by 2026 in an effort to promote the use of personal reusable cups.

According to the company on Monday, Starbucks Korea signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Environment, LG Electronics Inc., and Korea Zero Waste Movement Network on the installation of tumbler washers and promotion of the culture of using reusable cups.

Tumbler washers will be sequentially introduced to all Starbucks Korea stores by 2026, which will enable customers to easily manage their personal reusable cups.

Since last year, Starbucks Korea has been conducting pilot operations of tumbler washers at four stores to test customer satisfaction, participation rates, operational efficiency, and other factors.

As a result, stores operating tumbler washers saw an average daily increase of about 30 percent in the use of personal cups compared to before the introduction of the washers.

Moreover, they achieved a significant 17 percent higher usage rate compared to regular stores.

Based on these results, Starbucks Korea aims to begin the introduction of tumbler washers starting from some stores in Jeju, Sejong, and Seoul regions in July, with the goal of installing them in 600 stores by the end of this year.