Many environmentalists have long sense scorned Starbucks for not doing more when it comes to its efforts to implement more sustainable practices, products and methods. Though the company in recent years has made, and continues to make, more sustainable choices, particularly to its stores and coffee sourcing, Starbucks continues to fail to address one of its largest environmental impacts; its cups.
The Cup Dilemma
Each year over 3 billion Starbucks cups end up in landfills, and while efforts have been made to make those cups, and accompanying sleeves, out of more post-consumer recycled material (a measly 10% to be exact), very little has been done to better address the cup itself. Starbucks cups, though made of paper, contain a polyethylene liner that prevents liquid leakage. Because of this liner, the cups can neither be recycled or composted; hence, their ultimate end lies somewhere in a landfill.
Hopefully this will all soon be changing as Starbucks has launched a pilot program in seven New York City stores to finally see if it indeed can recycle its cups. Starbucks and Global Green USA’s Coalition for Resource Recovery will use the program to examine the collection and recycling of the coffee cups while in the same waste stream as old corrugated cardboard (OCC). The program is a part of Starbucks plan to make all of its cups 100% recyclable by 2012. Results will be announced in November.
Although they typically aren’t being processed to their highest value, a third party has certified the cups to be recyclable and repulpable based on the Fibre Box Association’s Wax Alternative Protocol. The cups will be collected in special paper bin liners located within the stores and then sent to Pratt Industries, where they will be compared to existing materials deemed suitable for recyclability and repulpability. Translation: “We’re going to see if this is feasible and/or practical”
The Good: Starbucks is finally taking steps to see what it can do about the billions of Starbucks cups that end up in landfills every year.
The Bad: This is only a pilot program in 7 stores out of thousands. It is unclear if the current composition of Starbucks cups will even allow for recyclability. Recycling isn’t always better for the environment and many times can be more harmful when viewed from a broader perspective i.e. energy consumption, chemical usage, quality of material, etc.
The Bottom-Line: Given the size and scale of Starbucks, any attempt at being more sustainable, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is good news for the environment.
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