Starbucks is tackling the problem of trash from disposable cups with a new offering, a $1 reusable tumbler, which is available across the USA and Canada starting today, January 4. Owners of the new tumbler, which visually resembles the iconic Starbucks paper cup with the brand’s green logo, will have a discount each time they refill it. According to USA Today, the environmentally friendly tumbler “pays for itself after 10 uses.

After collaborating with Campari on the brand’s annual calendar, Penelope Cruz decided that she definitely needed some coffee to re-energize, so the Hollywood A-lister agreed to star in a new Nespresso USA TV ad. The brand from the Nestlé portfolio launched the first TV campaign by Interpublic’s Martin Agency in the USA earlier this year, and it hopes that the new phase featuring one of the hottest female celebrities will help it stand out this season. Until recently, the brand has been focused on the markets located outside the USA—in 2006, the brand launched a gorgeous campaign starring George Clooney, a true US man, to promote the capsules in Europe. Now, Nespresso has hired a non-American female to appeal to US consumers.

Starbucks is always among the first to tap into the Christmas frenzy. Annually, the coffee and tea brand introduces its holiday items with the bright and creative design, along with holiday activities, giveaways and apps. This year, the brand is keeping up to the tradition and launches its Starbucks Rekindle page, “Holiday Village,” in the USA, which offers tons of gifts to the local consumers.

Despite all the pessimistic forecasts about the upcoming year, Lavazza still hopes that the Mayans predictions won’t actually come true and the world will enjoy the year of 2013. The coffee brand is now working on the calendar for the upcoming year, encouraging public to join in and contribute their own visuals for the piece named Opera Viva, the 2013 Social Calendar. The project has a creative direction of Michele Mariani and Marco Faccio and is signed by the Armando Testa Agency, which managed the previous brand’s art calendars.

Starbucks wants to make coffee available everywhere, at any spot and any time a consumer wants it. Following the launch of home coffee-making machines in spring 2012, the brand is about to introduce its vending machines in the UK to enable passers-by to buy their favourite coffee right in the street, while walking to work, being in the office or filling up a car at the gas station.