STARBUCKS SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
This project integrates sustainability into Starbucks' business strategy at global scale — treating it not as a compliance exercise but as a core business advantage. Through systems analysis, consumer research, and lifecycle assessment, we identified opportunities across operations, supply chain, and customer experience and translated them into a practical, market-ready roadmap.
DETAILS:
Sustainable Business Strategy
TEAM:
Rose Toal, Ananya Srinivasan, Subin Cho
The Opportunity:
Starbucks commands 39.3% of the $47.4B U.S. retail coffee market — and faces growing pressure to match that scale with meaningful sustainability commitments. Our research (366 survey responses, 8 customer interviews, in-store observation, and material lifecycle analysis) revealed a consistent gap: customers want sustainable options but encounter confusion, lack of transparency, and friction at every touchpoint.
The Solution: Three Interventions
Solve the Cup Dilemma:
Partner with Kaffeeform to manufacture reusable cups from coffee waste, eliminating single-use product dependency and closing the circular economy loop.
Create Behavior Change
Redesign the rewards app to surface real sustainability metrics, eco-badges, and gamified incentives that make reusable cup adoption feel rewarding rather than effortful.
Normalize Sustainable Behavior
In-store screens display eco-badges alongside customer names and wait times — making sustainable choices visible, social, and desirable.
