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Mucked-up ports, freak storms and unfilled paper-mill jobs have all had a hand in turning to-go cups and lids into one of the most precious goods in the U.S.
On a recent morning, Chelsie Nalley’s go-to Starbucks in Chattanooga, Tenn., left her high and dry. The store had plenty of coffee, she said, but none of her favorite 24-ounce cups. America’s latest shortage is of disposable cups, a potential energy crisis for an up-and-at-'em nation accustomed to caffeine on the go.
“They’re always out,” said Nalley, 29. She switched to 30-ounce Trenta cups until those, too, ran dry. A Starbucks Corp. spokesman said the chain was working to get more. The company said it typically goes through six billion a year, and leftover holiday-theme cups are helping fill the gap.
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, based in Plano, Texas, is facing similar problems. They haven’t gotten their custom plastic cups since July, said Maria Angles, vice president of supply chain. MOOYAH has switched to U.S.-made paper cups for its shakes. They work fine, she said, but don’t show off the creamy beauty of blended ice cream the way clear plastic does.
The Plastics Industry Association has forecast a 3.1% increase in the output of plastic products, including cups. Perc Pineda, the trade group’s chief economist, said the worker shortage has hampered plastics plants. Shortages of both labor and inputs have pushed prices for plastic packaging products 24% higher from a year ago, federal data show.
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