Dunkin' Ditching Foam Cups By End Of Year

CANTON, MA — Dunkin' is on track to eliminate polystyrene foam cups by the end of the year, the company announced Tuesday. The company said it replacing all foam cups with new double-walled paper cups. The double-walled cup is made with paperboard certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard and will come in small, medium, large and extra-large sizes.

The company said the paper cup retains heat "similarly" to the foam version.

"We are on target to meet our goal and are projected to have over 70 percent of our system converted by the end of 2019," Dunkin' said in a statement.

The plan was first announced in February 2018, and although Massachusetts is typically known for taking measures to protect the environment, the current foam cups have become part of Bay State culture. Many use the "double-cup" method of placing an iced coffee inside the wider foam cup, so they can enjoy an iced coffee even on the coldest of days.

But the plan has already been implemented with minimal outrage in some cities like Somerville, Brookline and Cambridge, where local officials have banned foam products. Dunkin' already made the switch to paper cups in New York City, California, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan, Kentucky and Indiana.

Dunkin' runs more than 9,000 locations in the U.S.