Starbucks continues quest to recycle cups

Starbucks continues quest to recycle cups

By Jake Thomas

Starbucks has released a report outlining its efforts to be a corporation that is socially and environmentally responsible and includes a section on its ambitious project to develop a way to recycle its pervasive paper coffee cups.

Starbucks Global Responsibility Report: Goals & Progress 2010 [1] contains a section [2] on its plans to make all of its cups reusable or recyclable by 2015 and describes some of the challenges the coffee giant has faced in tackling such a big project.

Last year, Starbucks tested the recyclability of its paper cups containing old corrugated cardboard with a pilot project in seven stores in Manhattan, which was later expanded to 86 of its New York locations. In 2011, it launched additional pilot projects to get a handle on the most effective ways to collect the cups.

However, recycling the cups has been challenging for Starbucks.

The report details the challenges of the project, explaining that with more than 17,000 coffee shops nationwide, Starbucks has had difficulties implementing an effective strategy when recycling infrastructure differs so dramatically across the country. Additionally, it notes that there is a limited demand for the recycled cups, which account for about 95 percent of the company's in-store beverage packaging.

"The real obstacle is the lack of robust commercial and residential recycling systems in many of the communities where we do business," reads the report. Starbucks also plans to introduce front-of-store recycling in all of its company-owned locations by 2015, and so far has it in 5 percent of its stores.

"While we have a long way to go to reach our 2015 goal, we hope to see significant improvement in this area in 2011," reads the report.

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