Deconstructed lattes — coffee orders split into separate cups of espresso, milk, syrup, and ice, often with a pile of single-use plastic to match — went viral earlier this year.
But what looked like a short-lived joke is turning into a real café trend. A sustainable living content creator, Kathryn Kellogg (@GoingZeroWaste), is now putting the trend on blast in a YouTube video titled, "The WORST Trend of 2026 Somehow Got Worse…"
What's happening?
Kellogg is sounding the alarm over the rise of the deconstructed latte, arguing that the gimmick has moved beyond a niche delivery workaround and into full-blown menu culture.
"I really thought deconstructed lattes would be one of those internet trends we collectively made fun of for a week and then moved on from. But they're actually becoming menu items at cafes across the world," she wrote in the caption.
The café that originally introduced the deconstructed latte says that the separation helps preserve quality during deliveries (which are inherently more expensive) by preventing dilution.
However, Kellogg notes that this justification doesn't make sense because customers can place the same kind of order or pickup and request that the drink be made only once they arrive.
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"I am going to give some grace for the practical application [of the deconstructed latte]," Kellogg continued. "I don't necessarily agree with it, but I understand it. However, it does completely fall apart when people start going to the store to pick it up just to participate in the trend."
Why does it matter?
Kellogg also pointed out that chasing fads can be expensive in more ways than one.
In addition to spending premium money on a drink that could be made at home far more cheaply, breaking one beverage into separate parts creates a massive amount of plastic waste, which doesn't readily break down and chips into microplastics linked to health complications. One study estimates there are 170 trillion pieces of plastic in our oceans alone.
"This is a very stupid and expensive trend," one viewer asserted.
"Instead of focusing on how BEST to get a drink delivered — I kinda wish cafes would be more focused on how to make the IN CAFE experience better," another remarked.
What can I do?
Kellogg acknowledged that part of the trend's appeal is undeniably human. "People want to play," she pointed out, adding, "Maybe the answer isn't less of that, maybe it's learning how to make those experiences truly our own."
Her solution is to recreate the experience of putting together a drink at home. Buying coffee, tea, milk, or homemade syrup separately can stretch much further than paying delivery markups, and reusable cups can replace a stack of disposable packaging.
"It seems I've been doing deconstructed ice latte for years. And I've been trendy AND green before it became a wasteful tt trend," a commenter shared.
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