SEOUL, Starbucks Korea plans to equip all its stores nationwide with travel mug washers manufactured by LG Electronics by 2026 in a bid to reduce the use of disposable cups, officials said Monday. The plan was announced after the environment ministry forged a business agreement with Starbucks, LG Electronics and the Korea Zero Waste Movement Network to encourage the use of multiuse cups for cafe beverages. Under the plan, the coffee chain plans to install LG's tumbler washer, "LG mycup," at all its outlets across the country by 2026, including 600 stores this year. Installation will begin in July at stores in Seoul, the central city of Sejong and the southern resort island of Jeju, the ministry said. Currently, LG mycup is in a pilot operation at four Starbucks cafes. Since the installations, the number of customers using personal travel mugs has risen by about 30 percent at those stores, according to Starbucks. "Currently, the use of personal multiuse cups accounts for 7 percent of total beverage order s," the coffee chain said, adding that it plans to more than double the ratio by 2026. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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