TEMPE, Ariz. — Bethany Patton steps up to the counter and places her pink mug into a shoebox-sized dishwasher. It spins. It whirs. Water splashes inside. After 90 seconds, the door opens and steam emerges. A barista grabs the mug, dries it and prepares Patton's order — a 16-ounce Starbucks double espresso on ice.
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A single-use cup undergoes a rigidity test at the Tryer Center at Starbucks headquarters, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in Seattle.
A reusable cup is washed at an Arizona State University Starbucks shop Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Tempe, Ariz. At the store, there are bins around campus, and the cups are washed by the university — part of a partnership with Starbucks — and returned to the store.
Harmony Mathison, right, uses a headset to talk to a customer at a Starbucks retail location, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in Seattle.Â
A reusable cup is returned to a borrow a cup return bin at an Arizona State University Starbucks shop Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Tempe, Ariz.Â
Starbucks Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Kobori holds a reusable cup used in a new "Borrow-a-Cup" program during an interview at the Tryer Center at Starbucks headquarters, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in Seattle.
Starbucks employees discuss personal cup designs in a focus group at the Tryer Center at Starbucks headquarters, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in Seattle.Â
Starbucks reusables business strategy senior manager Mary-Catherine Burton, left, takes notes as Tryer Lab partner Sam Farahani discusses design during a personal cup focus group at the Tryer Center at Starbucks headquarters, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in Seattle.
Tyler Eglen, project manager at Walton Sustainability Solutions Service, at the Arizona State University Circular Living Lab, shorts shredded plastic on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Mesa, Ariz.Â
Plastic cups for cold drinks undergo a shake test on an orbital shaker at the Tryer Center at Starbucks headquarters, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in Seattle. Technicians look for leaks and flaws.
Senior Packaging Engineer Kyle Walker explains a tilt test for cups at the Tryer Center at Starbucks headquarters, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in Seattle.Â
Tryer Lab partners Chan Chan and Emma Parnello, right, make drinks while running a reusable cup test at the Tryer Center at Starbucks headquarters, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in Seattle.
Valencia Villanueva poses for a photo with a reusable cup at an Arizona State University Starbucks shop Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Tempe, Ariz.Â
The top 10 fast-food restaurants for customer satisfaction
1. Chick-fil-A
This July 19, 2012, file photo, shows a Chick-fil-A fast food restaurant in Atlanta.Â
2. Jimmy John's
In this Jan. 2, 2015, file photo, a sign advertises hiring opportunities at a Jimmy John's sandwich shop, as an employee walks out to make a delivery in Atlanta.
3. Domino's
This is the sign on a Domino's Pizza shop in downtown Pittsburgh Monday, July 15, 2019.
4. KFC
FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, file photo, a KFC sign hangs in Saugus, Mass.
5. Chipotle
In this Feb. 8, 2016, file photo, shows a sign for the Chipotle restaurant in Pittsburgh's Market Square.
6. Panera Bread
In this April 12, 2017 file photo, a passer-by walks near an entrance to a Panera Bread restaurant in Natick, Mass.
7. Pizza Hut
This Dec. 15, 2016, file photo shows a Pizza Hut restaurant in New Orleans.
8. Starbucks
A Starbucks sign hangs outside a Starbucks coffee shop in downtown Pittsburgh on June 26, 2019.Â
9. Arbys
This March 1, 2010, file photo shows an Arby's restaurant sign in Cutler Bay, Fla.
10. Five Guys
In this Friday, Jan. 7, 2011 photo a Five Guys hamburger restaurant under construction is advertising job openings
Peter Prengaman is news director of The Associated Press' climate and environment team and can be followed here. Video journalist Manuel Valdes in Seattle contributed to this report.
AP climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP's climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
