Starbucks Awarded for Recycled Content Cup
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 10.24.05
Coming swiftly on the heels of the Starbucks Challenge arrives news that the java joint will received the Eighth Annual "Recycling Works" Recognition Award from the US National Recycling Coalition (NRC). Strangely, this announcement comes a full 3 months before the gala black-tie event, where they’ll officially be bestowed with the award. And all because their cups will have a 10% recycled content. This alone sounds very underwhelming. But digging deeper it would appear that such a feat has taken eight years to achieve, working with their three suppliers. And in particular, it seems there was a long slog in getting the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sign off on post-consumer recycled paper, that is going to be used for a food container. Find it incredulous that it all took so long. But now that it's approved, Starbucks figure they will “lower the company's dependence on tree fiber annually by more than five million pounds. [2.25M kg].” While we are talking stats, Starbucks also note that 655,00 lbs of paper waste was saved last year, by offering customers a ten cent discount when they used their own mug. ::National Recycling Coalition via GreenBiz
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I too, was incredulous when I wrote about this is Sustainable Industries Journal www.sijournal.com.
I do think it is worthy of note that they are doing this, but also worth it to remember that Starbucks has nearly stopped trying to get people to actually use commuter mugs, and practically discourages in-house drinking in mugs, though they have them.
Yet all the Starbucks waste I see on the sidewalks here in NY appears to be general garbage and not separated for recycling. So, it's no skin off their back, as usual. They just squeeze their suppliers in order to gain some marketing credibility.
Kudos to Starbucks -- They have the money and size to make changes happen at the FDA -- after 8 years.
I do wish they'd publicize the 10 cent discount policy a lil more though. Sure, if you dig through their website, you can find the info. But at least in LA, stores don't announce the policy -- an oversight Bring Your Own's trying to remedy --
Too bad they don't have a recycling program for the cups AFTER you drink the coffee.