Dunkin' Donuts says goodbye to Styrofoam cups

NEWTON, Mass. -- Those Styrofoam cups made famous by Dunkin’ Donuts might be a thing of the past, according to Dunkin’ officials Friday. The Canton-based company said it’s thinking “green” and hoping to serve their coffee in something more recyclable.

Customers outside the Dunkin’ Donuts in Newton said they like the idea -- as long as the company promises no change to the coffee inside those cups.

“I always get these plastic cups because the plastic cups are more recyclable,” said one Newton local. “They want to give me those Styrofoam cups. It’s no good.”

The company said it hasn’t quite found a solution yet, because there aren’t any available options that keep drinks warm, hands cool and are also 100 percent recyclable. The company is testing some in-store foam-cup recycling programs in select Dunkin’ locations.

Dunkin’s competitor Starbucks has a recyclable sleeve, but also hasn’t found a viable recyclable solution.

Dunkin’ has put no timetable on this eventual switchover and hasn’t announced yet whether this change would affect the price of a cup of coffee.

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