Tim Hortons coffee cups face online backlash

Thin, leaky and defective are a few of the adjectives that have been used recently to describe Tim Hortons cups, with some customers going as far as to deem them the “worst coffee cup you can get.”

Social media is rife with complaints about the cups, which are said to collapse and disintegrate shortly after purchase.

Catherine Nasiopoulos told CTV she filed a complaint with the company in February after her cups “collapsed more than 15 times in the last two months.”

“It’s funny because when I complained to the store where the coffee was purchased, they told me they never heard of any issues.”

But a scan of social media reveals that she’s not alone.

“Tim Hortons cups are thinner than public bathroom toilet paper and almost always leak,” one customer posted to X, calling them the “worst coffee cup you can get.”

Complaints can be found dating back several months, with some customers saying the bottom of the cup splits after about 15 minutes, while others have had issues along the vertical seam.

Complaints about Tim Hortons cups are not a new phenomena.

In May 2019, the company introduced a new recyclable lid with a raised dome intended to reduce spills and also the company’s carbon footprint, while also testing new paper cups.

The previous lids had been in use for over 20 years with no changes, though complaints about leaks and spills were common.

Restaurant Brands International, which acquired Tim Hortons in 2014, told Bloomberg it planned to expand its new “coffee cup technology” to the U.S. and other countries later.

In October 2021, the company trialled another new hot beverage cup in Vancouver made with up to 20 per cent post-consumer recycled content, allowing “a greater proportion of the cup’s paper fibre to be recovered in the repulping process.”

The company said the redesign could help with its goal of having more recycling programs across Canada accept Tims cups.

“We will be working with government and industry stakeholders across Canada to share the results of the trial,” said Paul Yang, senior director of sustainability and packaging for Tim Hortons. “We want to share our progress so we can work together toward developing the best solutions for everyone to use for a more sustainable future.”

Last month, the company announced it would be testing plastic-free and recyclable hot beverage lids in all Tim Hortons locations across Prince Edward Island for up to 12 weeks. The trial. features an enhanced version of a similar fibre.

Made with plant-based materials, the fibre hot beverage lids are “part of Tims five-year journey to improve our packaging with more sustainable solutions,” the company said.

Tim Hortons did not respond to a request for comment.