Starbucks has launched an international innovation competition for new materials for single-use cups and lids. It is looking for transparent, completely plastic-free and compostable material solutions for cold drink cups. For the „Starbucks Global Cold Cup Innovation Challenge“, the company is providing prize money totalling 100,000 US dollars.
According to Starbucks, the background to this is the globally growing business in cold drinks. Previous packaging materials often required a compromise between transparency, stability and the avoidance of plastics. With the competition launched via the Innocentive innovation platform Starbucks therefore wants to identify material concepts that can be used prospectively for cups and lids in different markets.
Plastic-free, transparent and compostable
Key requirements include the complete avoidance of both fossil-based plastics and plant-based bioplastics that mimic conventional plastics. The material must also be compostable and demonstrate a clear path towards corresponding certification. Furthermore, a high level of transparency is required, with a haze value of no more than five percent in accordance with ASTM D1003.
Further criteria include food safety, neutrality in taste and odour, and sufficient rigidity so that lids can be put on without deforming the cup. The material must also be able to withstand the temperatures of espresso shots.
Furthermore, Starbucks requires that a cup filled with iced water must withstand a one-metre drop without cracking. Liquids must be able to be contained for at least 24 hours without leakage. Recyclability, or at least the avoidance of negative impacts on existing recycling streams, is also desired.
Industrial-scale production required
The proposed materials should generally be produced in quantities of at least several hundred tonnes per year and be processable using existing methods such as injection moulding, thermoforming or cup-forming machines. Excluded are, inter alia, materials with measurable traces of PVC, PVDC, polystyrene, bisphenol A, PFAS, orthophthalates or oxo-degradable additives.
Solutions with a Technology Readiness Level of 1 to 6 are eligible. Starbucks does not expect a purely literature-based study, but rather scientifically grounded material concepts with a concrete development pathway. Following the theoretical evaluation, selected solutions should be capable of being transitioned into validation and prototyping phases.
The total prize money is 100,000 US dollars. Individual solutions can be awarded up to 50,000 US dollars, with the minimum amount of a prize awarded being 20,000 US dollars. For awarded solutions, the transfer of exclusive intellectual property rights to Starbucks is generally intended. The closing date for entries is 14 September 2026.
Source: InnoCentive
