Paper straws once swept through the food service industry in the name of environmental protection, yet they have been widely criticized for their poor mouthfeel and tendency to degrade in the mouth, and are now gradually exiting the market. Their replacement, PLA straws, are made from plant starch, are fully biodegradable, and withstand temperatures ranging from cold to hot drinks, but they have a short shelf life and relatively high cost. Meanwhile, research teams have developed edible bacterial cellulose-based straws that completely decompose within 60 days when buried in soil. From paper straws to PLA to coconut jelly straws, behind the iteration of eco-friendly straws lies a trade-off among cost, experience, and degradation performance. This article reviews the current state of paper straw production being discontinued, the market prospects for PLA straws, and the research progress on new edible straws, and includes Front Street Coffee's specialty bean news. [more…]

In the coffee industry chain, silver skin is often overlooked as a roasting by-product. However, Japan's Ito En and Tully's Coffee have teamed up to transform this thin protective layer into water-resistant straws. Every 10 grams of coffee beans produces enough silver skin to make two straws, and it does not interfere with the flavor of the drink. In fact, Tully's Coffee had already launched eco-friendly napkins containing silver skin as early as 2012. Although these products are currently limited to some stores in Japan, silver skin-blended paper has already taken an eco-friendly step in reducing pulp usage. This article will guide you through the transformation of coffee silver skin from waste to practical accessories, and revisit coffee grounds recycling cases such as Starbucks' ground coffee straws, exploring the possibility of fully utilizing the entire coffee fruit. [more…]

In 2021, Coca-Cola carried out a new round of visual packaging upgrades for its product line, with Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, and Coke Zero all receiving more minimalist new looks. This redesign continues the "One Brand" strategy introduced in 2015. The most noticeable change is that the logo has been moved upward, and the classic ribbon element has been removed, giving the overall style a clean and crisp feel. In terms of color schemes, the classic version retains the red-and-white combination, the Diet version adopts red and silver, and the Zero version forms a high-contrast look with a black logo against a red background. At the same time, at the end of last year Coca-Cola also launched an eco-friendly paper bottle prototype called "Adez," jointly developed by its Brussels lab and the Danish company Paboco. It uses a paper shell with a plastic liner and a recyclable plastic cap, further conveying the concept of sustainable development. This article will compare the old and new packaging changes in detail and review these two noteworthy developments. [more…]

Bought too much and can't finish it, or delayed by unexpected matters—before you know it, your coffee beans have passed their peak flavor period. When faced with stale beans, what details should you pay attention to during brewing? And if they've already passed their expiration date, how should you handle them? This article first shares grinding and blooming adjustment methods for stale coffee beans, helping you improve the output as much as possible despite flavor loss; then it organizes three practical and eco-friendly recycling approaches, including deodorizing, cleaning, and using as plant fertilizer, so that expired coffee beans can continue to provide value in daily life. The article also retains relevant suggestions and product information from the Front Street brand for coffee enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

Manner Coffee's long-standing offer of a 5-yuan discount for bringing your own cup has led many consumers to develop the habit of carrying a cup for coffee on the go. However, when a customer showed up with a hollowed-out orange peel to buy an orange latte, they were denied the discount because the container did not meet the store's rules. Does this "all-natural" orange cup count as an eco-friendly bring-your-own cup? The staff refused to recognize it on the grounds that it lacked an environmental label and was kitchen waste, while the customer insisted that their creative container should be accepted. The incident sparked heated discussion online, with supporters arguing that orange peel is biodegradable and compostable, while opponents worried about food safety and the seriousness of merchant rules. This debate over a cup of coffee reflects the subtle tension between consumer creativity and merchant regulations in bring-your-own-cup culture. [more…]

As the most common waste product in coffee shops, coffee grounds generate over 8 million tons globally each year, and their disposal not only consumes energy but also pollutes the environment. Over the past decade, researchers have continuously explored ways to reuse coffee grounds, from blended fuels to eco-friendly boards, from clothing fabrics to food utensils, coffee grounds are transforming into a new eco-friendly favorite across multiple industries. A Japanese coffee roasting company has teamed up with a research team from Kindai University to develop a biochar fuel made from coffee grounds, and claims that the carbon dioxide released during combustion can be offset by the amount absorbed during the growth of coffee plants, thereby achieving zero carbon dioxide emissions. This "fighting magic with magic" environmental approach—how exactly is it achieved? [more…]

Since opening China's first post office café on February 14 this year, China Post has officially entered the coffee market as a national team player. Amid an enthusiastic consumer response, the country's second post office café opened on Cat Street in Xiamen. The new store blends in with the local character of Cat Street, creating a space for cat lovers to mingle, and has partnered with oat milk brand OATLY to launch a hidden-menu eco-friendly special. At the same time, OATLY put in a strong performance in the Asian market in the first quarter, with its Barista product contributing significantly, and the brand is accelerating its expansion into diverse categories such as new-style tea drinks and plant-based ice cream. [more…]

Today, a daily cup of coffee has become a routine for many people. At the same time, more and more brick-and-mortar cafés are offering discounts to customers who bring their own cups, encouraging them to get their coffee in non-disposable cups. For consumers, bringing their own cup is both eco-friendly and saves a few bucks; for businesses, using a small discount to attract these customers can also boost repeat purchases—a win-win. Manner started offering a 5-yuan discount for bring-your-own-cup back in 2015, and Starbucks also holds a limited-time free coffee event for customers with their own cups every Earth Day. On Xiaohongshu, users have gotten even more creative, showing up with goblets, rice bowls, gourd ladles, thermoses, and even empty liquor bottles, putting on a quirky bring-your-own-cup contest. Faced with these bizarre containers, professional baristas still calmly serve the drinks. This article takes you through these amusing scenes and also discusses the environmental significance behind bringing your own cup. [more…]

Many coffee enthusiasts have encountered this dilemma: they impulsively bought too many coffee beans, or for various reasons delayed drinking them, only to find that the beans have passed their optimal flavor period. So, can unopened expired ground coffee still be consumed? How will the flavor change? This article will analyze the safety of drinking expired ground coffee from the perspectives of food safety and flavor performance, and share brewing adjustment plans for stale coffee beans. In addition, if the coffee has passed its shelf life, we will also introduce three practical and eco-friendly ways to reuse it, so that every coffee bean can be put to good use. [more…]

Starbucks has been actively promoting eco-friendly packaging, from coffee-ground straws to non-woven bags, and now to the paper single-cup carrier bags that are commonly used today—each step reflects the brand's pursuit of sustainable development. However, this seemingly clever design has frequently drawn complaints from consumers, especially cyclists, who report that the handles break easily, the cup bottoms may fall out, and the paper edges can even cut your hands. Between environmental protection and practicality, how should Starbucks strike the balance? This article will trace the evolution of the carrier bags, present real user feedback, and bring in industry perspectives such as those from Front Street Coffee, to explore the packaging dilemma behind a cup of coffee. [more…]

Bringing your own cup to buy coffee is inherently an eco-friendly gesture, but one consumer ran into an unexpected situation at McDonald's: the staff first poured the drink into a disposable cup, then transferred it into the customer's cup. The store explained that customer containers cannot enter the preparation area due to hygiene regulations. The incident sparked widespread discussion—some understood McDonald's food safety considerations, while others felt that using an extra plastic cup defeats the original eco-friendly purpose. So how exactly should bring-your-own-cup work at fast-food restaurants? Front Street Coffee takes you through the details. [more…]

The pandemic has changed people's consumption habits, accelerating the shift of coffee bean purchases to online channels. In an increasingly competitive e-commerce environment, packaging design has become an important bargaining chip for coffee brands to stand out. Designers from 99designs by Vista, a global forum for freelance creators, discussed coffee bean packaging styles for 2022 and predicted six design directions that could dominate the market this year: serene style, text-solo style, laser style, eco-friendly style, collage style, and playful style. These styles respectively respond to consumers' current demands for inner peace, intuitive information, visual impact, sustainable development, and a relaxed atmosphere, providing valuable references for coffee brands' packaging decisions. [more…]

The environmental problems of single-use paper cups are becoming increasingly severe, and the coffee industry has been searching for alternatives. From the failed attempt with cone cups in 2014, to the brief popularity of KFC's cookie cups, and then to the unexpected revival of oat cups during the pandemic, edible coffee cups have gone through three generations of technological iteration. This article will review the development history, technological breakthroughs, and market dilemmas of edible cups, and explore whether they can truly replace single-use cups and become a new environmentally friendly choice for coffee shops. [more…]

Starbucks has been exploring ways to reduce single-use cup usage in recent years, from deposit cups in the South Korean market to cup borrowing programs in Europe and the US, but none have achieved the expected results. Now Starbucks has launched Plan C—introducing dedicated cup-washing machines in stores, where customers can wash their cups themselves after finishing their coffee and take them away, though a deposit is still required. The program will first be tested at Arizona State University and select stores in Hawaii. Meanwhile, Starbucks mainland China has fully switched to paper straws and sippy lids, reducing approximately 200 tons of plastic annually. Whether the environmental path can meet its 2025 targets remains to be seen. [more…]

Starbucks recently announced that it will change the type of ice used in its cold drinks. The new ice is smaller and crunchier, and the official explanation is mainly to cater to the growing number of consumers who have a habit of eating ice. However, this decision has also sparked polarized reactions: some are cheering that they can finally chew ice to their heart's content, while others worry that the ice will melt too quickly and dilute the flavor of the drinks. Notably, Starbucks had previously been criticized for charging extra for water-free/ice-free drinks, and now whether changing the ice is effectively reducing the amount of ice has also become a focus of discussion. This article will sort out the ins and outs of Starbucks' ice change, the official response, and netizen feedback, while also bringing coffee lovers relevant news about Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Around 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide every day, and with that comes a massive amount of spent coffee grounds. Traditional recycling methods—such as deodorizing, exfoliating, or making furniture—often require drying, which actually releases carbon dioxide. Japanese scientist Tetsuji Ishigaki has taken a different approach: using Aspergillus to ferment spent coffee grounds into a paste, then adding cocoa butter to solidify it, creating a ready-to-eat spent-coffee-ground chocolate. This product, called COLEHA, not only contains three times the amino acids of green coffee beans, but its polyphenols and antioxidants also reach 1.6 times those of regular coffee, and it is rich in insoluble fiber that promotes gut health. COLEHA is currently available in limited quantities, with sugar content offered in three versions—0%, 10%, and 40%—each with its own distinctive taste. This article introduces this eco-friendly and innovative spent-coffee-ground utilization technology, along with the flavor and health secrets behind it. [more…]

Bringing your own cup to buy drinks at coffee shops has become an eco-friendly habit for some consumers, and chain brands such as Starbucks and Manner have long offered BYO cup discounts to encourage reducing single-use cup usage. However, in reality, it seems that not many people truly stick to bringing their own cups, and the tables in coffee shops are still dominated by takeaway cups. Why are consumers not buying into BYO cup discounts? Some value saving money but give up because the discounts cannot be stacked; some pursue efficiency and feel that bringing their own cup actually wastes time; others encounter troubles such as capacity mismatch, forgetting to bring the cup, or the cup having an odor. Although bringing your own cup causes many inconveniences, for long-term coffee drinkers, the money saved can buy a few more cups, and some even pass off disposable cups as their own, leaving baristas not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Front Street Coffee reminds us that the environmental friendliness and cost savings of bringing your own cup still need to find a balance with convenience. [more…]

The French press, with its simple operation and efficient extraction, has become the daily choice of many coffee enthusiasts. It requires no paper filter, making it eco-friendly and hassle-free, while fully preserving the coffee oils and original flavors—especially suited to medium-to-dark roasted single-origin beans. This article will cover the French press's suitable bean types, grind size, water-to-coffee ratio, and specific brewing process, combining Front Street Coffee's recommended bean list and hands-on experience to help you easily make a rich, full-bodied cup of French press coffee at home. [more…]

For many coffee lovers who are sensitive to caffeine, decaf coffee offers a choice that balances flavor and peace of mind. It removes the vast majority of caffeine from green beans through specific processes, but inevitably strips away some flavor compounds as well. This article provides a systematic introduction to what decaf coffee is, the mainstream processing methods, how its caffeine and antioxidant content differs from regular coffee, and how modern eco-friendly decaffeination techniques preserve the flavor of premium coffee as much as possible. In addition, it also mentions related product information from Front Street Coffee to help readers gain a more comprehensive understanding of this category. [more…]

You bought too many and didn't finish them, or illness got in the way of brewing—and just like that, your coffee beans quietly passed their peak flavor window. Can stale beans still be brewed? What adjustments are needed during brewing? And if they're already past their expiration date, what eco-friendly and practical ways are there to reuse them? Drawing on Front Street's brewing experience, this article first covers hand-brewing strategies for stale beans—including changes to the blooming pour and grind size adjustments—then shares three proven methods for recycling coffee grounds: odor removal, cleaning, and plant fertilizer, so that not a single bean in your hands goes to waste. [more…]