Starbucks Package Design
Advisor(s)
Brit Rowe, MFA
Ohio Northern University
Art & Design, Visual & Performing Arts
w-rowe@onu.edu
Location
ONU McIntosh Center; Dean's Heritage Room
Start Date
22-4-2022 10:00 AM
End Date
April 2022
Abstract
Going to Starbucks to grab a coffee and throwing the cup in the recycle bin when finished is something that millions of people do daily. These cups include the logo, as well as lines for measuring and boxes for ingredients along the side. Vertically, the cup states, “We proudly serve Starbucks.” On the bottom of the cups, Starbucks includes the recycling symbol, indicating to users that the cup is able to be recycled.
These cups are made with an oil-based polyethylene plastic coating which is not able to be recycled due to it clogging the paper mills’ machinery. Therefore, Starbucks cups are not able to be recycled. The recycling sign on the cup is a misleading to users because they think they are helping the environment.
Are customers aware that the cups are not recyclable? Do consumers recycle their cups? This misleading package design is an ethical concern.
Once the secondary research is done, I will conduct informal interviews. The interviews will include talking with users of these cups to determine their feelings about the package design. Observational research will be constructed examine the behaviors of customers in regard to recycling. Either a survey or questionnaire will be filled out by customers about their feelings toward the design.
Once the observational research, informal interviews, and questionnaire tactics have all been completed, the results will be discussed during my presentation.
Recommended Citation
Morrison, Brianna, "Starbucks Package Design" (2022). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 11.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2022/papers/11
Restricted
Available to ONU community via local IP address and ONU login.
Starbucks Package Design
ONU McIntosh Center; Dean's Heritage Room
Going to Starbucks to grab a coffee and throwing the cup in the recycle bin when finished is something that millions of people do daily. These cups include the logo, as well as lines for measuring and boxes for ingredients along the side. Vertically, the cup states, “We proudly serve Starbucks.” On the bottom of the cups, Starbucks includes the recycling symbol, indicating to users that the cup is able to be recycled.
These cups are made with an oil-based polyethylene plastic coating which is not able to be recycled due to it clogging the paper mills’ machinery. Therefore, Starbucks cups are not able to be recycled. The recycling sign on the cup is a misleading to users because they think they are helping the environment.
Are customers aware that the cups are not recyclable? Do consumers recycle their cups? This misleading package design is an ethical concern.
Once the secondary research is done, I will conduct informal interviews. The interviews will include talking with users of these cups to determine their feelings about the package design. Observational research will be constructed examine the behaviors of customers in regard to recycling. Either a survey or questionnaire will be filled out by customers about their feelings toward the design.
Once the observational research, informal interviews, and questionnaire tactics have all been completed, the results will be discussed during my presentation.