Starbucks has opened a public innovation challenge seeking new materials for its cold cups and lids, including solutions that could help address a significant sustainability challenge: developing materials that are plastic-free, compostable and transparent.
The challenge builds on Starbucks’ previous engagement with Arizona State University around research into compostable cold cups and lids. The public challenge is now open to faculty, staff, students and other innovators who may have relevant technologies, research or ideas to contribute.
Starbucks is seeking innovative but practical material solutions that address the needs of cold cups and lids across three areas:
- Functional performance — The material must meet the practical requirements of a cold cup or lid.
- Customer experience — The solution should work for customers in real-world use.
- Regulatory needs — The material must have potential to meet applicable requirements across diverse markets.
A successful solution should also have the potential to be tested, refined and eventually scaled across markets around the world.
Proposals should address:
- Participation type
- Solution level
- Optional partnering
- Problem and opportunity
- Solution overview
- Solution feasibility
- Experience
- Solution risks
- Timeline, capability and costs
- Online references
The challenge is open to solutions at different stages, with an emphasis on approaches that can ultimately be demonstrated and scaled.
The winning team will be offered up to $50,000.
Potential participants should also carefully review Starbucks’ intellectual property terms before submitting. Under the challenge terms, solvers whose proposals receive an award will be required to assign exclusive ownership rights to the intellectual property in their proposed solution to Starbucks. Solvers retain rights to proposed solutions that are not awarded.
Starbucks also indicates that it is willing to explore a collaboration agreement when a solver is an organization that already owns the intellectual property and cannot assign exclusive IP rights.
The challenge could be relevant to ASU researchers and innovators working across disciplines, particularly those with expertise in areas such as sustainable materials, packaging, polymers, chemistry, engineering, manufacturing, food systems and related fields.
The opportunity also provides a way to bring visibility to an important sustainability problem and potentially connect ASU research and innovation with a global company seeking solutions that can move from research into practical application.
Submissions are due September 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Review the full challenge requirements and submission process before applying: