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    • Starbucks will roll out a redesigned plastic cup in Canada this month in a bid to reduce plastic waste

    This photo provided by Starbucks shows a new version of the company's cold cup which is said to be made with up to 20 per cent less plastic. The introduction of the cups will be announced on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Starbucks via AP) This photo provided by Starbucks shows a new version of the company's cold cup which is said to be made with up to 20 per cent less plastic. The introduction of the cups will be announced on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Starbucks via AP)
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    Booming sales of cold drinks at Starbucks have created a problem: growing amounts of plastic waste from the single-use cups that Frappuccinos, Refreshers, cold brews and other iced drinks are served in.

    The coffee giant said Thursday it plans to alleviate some of that waste with new disposable cups that contain up to 20 per cent less plastic. The cups are set to be rolled out to stores in the U.S. and Canada starting this month.

    Amelia Landers, Starbucks鈥 vice president of product innovation, said the Seattle-based company spent the last four years developing the new containers. Engineers tested thousands of iterations to see how much plastic they could remove while still making the cup feel sturdy.

    鈥淲e feel like it鈥檚 industry-leading,鈥 Landers said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the best expression of a cold plastic cup.鈥

    Starbucks says Frappuccinos and other cold drinks now account for 75 per cent of its U.S. beverage sales, up from 37 per cent in 2013. The company estimates the new cups will keep more than 13.5 million pounds of plastic out of landfills each year. Producing the tumblers also requires less water and creates fewer carbon emissions, a leading cause of climate change, it said.

    Starbucks made other changes as part of the redesign. The new cold cups feature raised dots near the bottom, so baristas 鈥 including those with impaired vision 鈥 can quickly feel with the swipe of a thumb which size cup they鈥檙e holding. And the 12-ounce cup 鈥 that's the 鈥渢all鈥 size in Starbucks lingo 鈥 is shorter and wider to accommodate the same-size lid as larger cups.

    Landers said the new cups are part of a sustained sustainability push at Starbucks. The company adopted strawless lids in 2019. Last year, it said it would accept customer-provided cups for drive-thru and mobile orders in the U.S. and Canada.

    The company plans to roll out a reusable cup program at thousands of stores in Europe, the Middle East and Africa by next year. Under the program, customers will pay a small deposit when they buy a hot or cold drink in a specially designed cup that can be used up to 30 times. They will get the deposit back when they return the cup to a store.

    Starbucks also has tested U.S. reusable cup programs in California, Arizona and Colorado.

    鈥淓very market has their own challenges, their own requirements and customer behavior. Some are more prime for reusables, some are less prime for reusables,鈥 Landers said. "There is no one silver bullet to a sustainable cup.鈥

    Longer term, Starbucks has said it wants all of its packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2030. The reduced-plastic cup making its debut is a small step toward that goal: even though the cup is recyclable, it still was designed for one-time use, Landers said.

    The company will continue to explore ways to make single-use cups more sustainable, she said.

    鈥淚 think we will never take our foot off the gas, evaluating new ways and new methods and new technologies to go further,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not done.鈥

    Starbucks isn鈥檛 the only company rethinking plastic packaging. In some markets, McDonald鈥檚 has introduced McFlurry cups without plastic lids, and salad boxes and cutlery made from renewable fiber. Late last year, Coca-Cola said it had developed a bottle made entirely from plant-based sources. Coke produced a limited-run of 900 bottles to show that the technology can be commercially scaled. 

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Elections BC released its first partial results of the final count in B.C.'s 2024 provincial election Saturday afternoon, and the data shows NDP candidates gaining in some tight races.

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    Angela Salvatore had been away from her father's hospital bedside for just over an hour when she says she got a frantic call from a nurse, pleading with her to calm him down.

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    Canada

    • Huntsville OPP and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are conducting a homicide investigation after three individuals were found dead in a Huntsville neighbourhood Friday evening.

    • Elections BC released its first partial results of the final count in B.C.'s 2024 provincial election Saturday afternoon, and the data shows NDP candidates gaining in some tight races.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say a 16-year-old has been charged with second-degree murder after a 15-year-old was found dead at a home in Perth, Ont. Friday afternoon.

    • The mystery of a 100-year-old letter sent from Manitoba to Ireland is slowly unraveling thanks to the work of one amateur sleuth.

    • Canadian Ryan James Wedding finished in 24th place in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, but the snowboarder wouldn鈥檛 go on to improve his results in Torino four years later.

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    • Former Chicago Blackhawks star and Hall of Fame hockey executive Bill Hay, who was also a past president and CEO of the Calgary Flames, has died. He was 88.

    • Stuart Skinner made 27 saves for his fifth career shutout and Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm each had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers snapped a two-game losing skid with a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.

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    Local Spotlight

    A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

    Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    • Elections BC released its first partial results of the final count in B.C.'s 2024 provincial election Saturday afternoon, and the data shows NDP candidates gaining in some tight races.

    • Three people have suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries following a stabbing at a New Westminster casino in the early hours of Saturday morning.

    • Work crews were called to deal with a barge that appeared to be stuck near the shore of the Fraser River in Langley Saturday morning.

    • Canadian Ryan James Wedding finished in 24th place in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, but the snowboarder wouldn鈥檛 go on to improve his results in Torino four years later.

    • Huntsville OPP and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are conducting a homicide investigation after three individuals were found dead in a Huntsville neighbourhood Friday evening.

    • Seneca Polytechnic says it is temporarily closing one of its campuses north of Toronto because of the federal government's recent cuts to the number of international student permits.

    • One person is in hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries after a crash between a motorized scooter and a vehicle.

    • Mr. Steam got its online business listing back.

    • One person is in hospital in stable condition following a shooting in southeast Calgary at around 2 a.m. Saturday morning.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say a 16-year-old has been charged with second-degree murder after a 15-year-old was found dead at a home in Perth, Ont. Friday afternoon.

    • A veteran Ottawa journalist is firing back against what he says are "entirely false" claims by a former Conservative cabinet minister that he acted as a Russian agent.

    • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at things to do in Ottawa and eastern Ontario this weekend.

    • Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating an alleged case of voyeurism on the metro involving an 18-year-old woman, with video footage of the incident now circulating on social media

    • CAA Quebec hosted a child car seat safety check in Laval to promote the importance of proper installation and prevent potential tragedies on the road.

    • Steve Begin is back at school, speaking to students. A place the former Montreal Canadien says was difficult for him growing up.

    • RCMP are looking for a man they believe is armed and dangerous in the Lac La Biche area.

    • A worker was killed on the job in Stony Plain on Tuesday, one day after a worker was killed in northwest Edmonton.

    • A former Alberta teacher has been sentenced to four years for sexually abusing a student.

    • Hundreds of people got dressed up Saturday for an afternoon of trick-or-treating in East Chezzetcook, N.S., during the fourth annual 鈥楬alloween Trick or Treat on the Trail Walk.鈥

    • The GoFundMe page for the family of an employee found dead at a Halifax Walmart last weekend has paused donations after almost $200,000 was raised in roughly 24 hours.

    • This weekend brings Menahqesk PowWow 2024 to Saint John, N.B., the first traditional powwow to be held in the city.

    • Winnipeg police have arrested and charged a man believed to be connected with an assault at a University of Manitoba dorm room.

    • The mystery of a 100-year-old letter sent from Manitoba to Ireland is slowly unraveling thanks to the work of one amateur sleuth.

    • Pop culture connoisseurs made their way by the masses to the fourth annual Winnipeg Comiccon this weekend.

    • Saskatchewan was one of the regions that experienced one of the hottest heat waves in Canada this summer, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

    • A group of Regina youth gathered to give back to veterans of the First World War.

    • With mere days until votes are counted up 鈥 the provincial party leaders have entered the final phase of campaigning and are looking to appeal to undecided voters for support.

    • Police are investigating after a Guelph home was broken into early Saturday morning.

    • Fire crews responded to a fire at a Waterloo waste management site Friday evening.

    • All the evidence has now been called at the trial of Erick Buhr, who has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder in the death of his grandmother, Viola Erb.

    • Saskatoon fire crews responded to a major house fire on the 400 block of 24th Street West on Friday evening.

    • The Saskatoon Police Service is cautioning residents about a phone scam involving fraudulent lottery claims.

    • Saskatchewan was one of the regions that experienced one of the hottest heat waves in Canada this summer, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

    • Huntsville OPP and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are conducting a homicide investigation after three individuals were found dead in a Huntsville neighbourhood Friday evening.

    • Creditors have moved to take ownership of most of the properties in northern Ontario owned by a group of 11 insolvent companies.

    • The Town of Cochrane plans to roll out its $10-lot program in a month or two.

    • London police say they鈥檝e arrested a man allegedly responsible for a number of non-fatal overdoses that prompted a safety warning Friday afternoon.

    • Cornelius Woelke and his two boys, who were badly burned in a fire in Springfield, Ont., are continuing their recovery in hospital.

    • Alongside a panel of industry experts, Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles joined MPP Terence Kernaghan to discuss hot button topics leading up to a possible election.

    • Huntsville OPP and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are conducting a homicide investigation after three individuals were found dead in a Huntsville neighbourhood Friday evening.

    • A commercial truck driver was stopped for allegedly travelling nearly twice the speed limit through a community safe zone in Caledon Saturday morning.

    • Several students have been banned from being spectators at school sporting events, and others suspended from school, after verbal and physical exchanges at a high school soccer game.

    • Windsor police say the death of a 69-year-old man has been ruled a homicide.

    • A U.S. citizen was arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Gorder Howe International Bridge on Oct. 18 for an active warrant for possession of synthetic drugs.

    • Witches and dinosaurs walked the Downtown Windsor Farmers鈥 Market Saturday morning in search of an early Halloween treat.

    • Elections BC released its first partial results of the final count in B.C.'s 2024 provincial election Saturday afternoon, and the data shows NDP candidates gaining in some tight races.

    • There were tense moments at a ferry terminal outside Victoria, B.C., on Friday after the lion鈥檚 share of standby spots on an early sailing were claimed by 鈥渁ssured loading鈥 passengers 鈥 leaving regular customers who had been waiting for hours out of luck.

    • Hulitan Early Years Centre is a brand new, 48-seat childhood learning centre in Colwood. It was built to support Indigenous children throughout the capital region.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • A tentative agreement has been reached between the City of Lethbridge and more than 900 employees belonging to CUPE Local 70.

    • The Hurricanes will be happy to be back home in Lethbridge Saturday night after losing their third in a row on the road Friday night, a 4-1 decision to the Broncos in Swift Current.

    • About 15,000 students are enrolled at Lethbridge鈥檚 post-secondary schools, and now the city is working with those schools to try to find ways to get them s to stick around a while.

    • Creditors have moved to take ownership of most of the properties in northern Ontario owned by a group of 11 insolvent companies.

    • Ontario Provincial Police have been cleared in the case of a woman who crashed her vehicle intentionally while she was high on drugs and fled into the woods earlier this year.

    • The union that represents hospital workers across the province is used a symbol from Greek mythology Friday in Espanola to drive home its campaign about the perils of privatization in health care.

    N.L.

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