From Cocktail Glasses to Plastic Takeouts (1/18)

Bubble tea made its debut in Singapore when Bubble Tea Garden, a café or what was called “bubble tea hut”, opened at Marina Square in 1992. Back then, the beverage was a favourite among Chinese-speaking students who probably already knew about the origins of the drink from Chun Shui Tang tea house in Taiwan. Bubble tea was commonly served in rather fancifully-shaped cocktail glasses when customers dined in at eateries. Nowadays, people opt to purchase their bubble tea in disposable plastic cups from the ubiquitous takeout kiosks around Singapore. This has created tonnes of waste in the environment and only less than 20% of the cups disposed are really recycled. LiHo, a local brand name, started selling their bubble milk tea in plastic bags in 2019, probably in an attempt to reduce the amount of plastic used and give the drink a local twist. Who knows, the next time bubble tea may be served in biodegradeable cups?