Green Daily

why don;t they use pla hot cups they are compostable,

I'm not sure where you heard that there is 20% recycle content in the cup

a compostable lid on the cup would also help.

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once recycled the cups are pretty useless, and there is not a demand for the end product of 2 billion cups being recycled, it's the recycling facilities that is at fault not Starbucks.
In the UK for example the same starbucks cups are used as around the world and they can be recycled where facilities exist which is about 80% of local councils.

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Why not stop getting your coffee at Starbucks? Instead choose local cafes, or more responsible chains like Peets, who offer sustainable options in both their coffee and cups.

I agree that Starbucks definitely needs to change its cup policy sooner rather than later, but in the meantime speak up with your dollars and get your soy latte elsewhere.

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My biggest problem with the Starbucks problem is like most big corporations it's all about money. Starbucks won't rush the process because the amount of pre-printed cups in stock won't run out until about that timeframe.

The quick fix to this problem is to offer regular customers a greener alternative such as a reusable hot cup with a 10% discount or something to that effect for return visits. Starbucks is just a typical greedy biz because they already offer a cold cup version of the same.

Nothing will change until the people start sending a message by going to a competitor. I did and we have a responsibilty to spread the word.

*Greener today ... means Greener tommorrow* Rhon

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Lets not be too quick to judge Starbucks. Consumers need to take responsibility too. Its not that hard to take a reusable travel mug to your local Starbucks to fill up. More important than recycling and composting is avoiding waste altogether and we all have a role to play in that pursuit.

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I am a recycling professional and serve on the board of our local recycling facility. Paper cups are NOT recyclable in most/ many markets. A compostable paper cup is not recyclable either. You can compost it in your compost pile or send it to an industrial composter, but do not put a compostable paper cup in a recycling bin. The best thing to do it REDUCE by using a reusable mug.
From our latest recycling newsletter:
Disposable coffee cups are not made from paperboard, but a paper sheet that is then coated with wax or a wax/polyethylene composite. The wax coating is a contaminant in the paper making process because it can’t be easily separated from the paper cup. When wax gets into the paper pulp, it creates voids in the finished paper sheets making it unusable.
Please do not put paper coffee cups in your recycling bin, but do continue to recycle your milk and juice cartons. ##
So, if a paper cup did not have this wax coating it would fall apart in your hand and you would be burned. The fact that Starbucks is using recycled content in their cups is good. At least they are not using STYROFOAM like Dunkin Donuts is! Styrofoam is not recyclable either, even though it has the recycle symbol on the bottom. It is recyclable in very few select areas of the country.

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Am I the only person that has tried to use their own coffee cup and been turned away? Not ALL the time, but it has happened. Makes me feel life a freak, definitely a buzz kill. I also don't like these huge servings of coffee, so i have this tiny little mug, which also seems to cause issues.

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