Starbucks White Hot Cups
Starbucks white paper cups, used for hot beverages, are made of paper fiber and the industry standard liner (low-density polyethylene plastic). The paper provides the rigidity for the cup, while the plastic layer keeps the paper layer intact by protecting it from the hot beverage. This plastic layer also makes the hot beverage cups unrecyclable in most paper recycling systems. We are continually evaluating alternatives to the current plastic coating, and are currently conducting life cycle assessments for bio-based plastics.
We have spent more than ten years looking for opportunities to decrease the environmental impact of our disposable hot cups, which represent more than half of all the paper we buy. We are now focusing our efforts on addressing the source of the paper we use to make our cups. We believe our biggest impact has come from the introduction of our white 10 percent post-consumer recycled fiber (PCF) hot cups in our U.S. and Canada stores in 2006.
Starbucks was the first company in the United States to use 10 percent PCF fiber in hot beverage cups which, according to Environmental Defense’s Paper Calculator, has significantly reduced the amount of wood we use by 11,300 tons-- the equivalent of 78,000 trees in the first year alone.
Though Starbucks pays a slight premium for the PCF cups, we believe the long-term impact of using this more environmentally-friendly option is worth the additional cost. Our commitment to corporate social responsibility initiatives such as this underscores our long term investment in continuing to operate our business in a responsible way.
Other actions taken by Starbucks to reduce the environmental impacts of our disposable cups include:
- Working to eliminate most double-cupping by utilizing corrugated hot beverage sleeves made of 60 percent post-consumer recycled fiber.
- Offering customers a $0.10 discount when they use their own reusable cups. Customers in the U.S. and Canada took advantage of this offer more than 17 million times in fiscal 2006, keeping 674,000 pounds of paper from going to the landfill.
- Providing “for here” mugs for customers who choose to enjoy their beverages in-store.
Starbucks and Recycling
Starbucks ability to recycle customer and store waste, including cardboard, paper, milk jugs, and organic waste, is dependent on the availability of commercial recycling services where our stores are located. Our policy for Starbucks company-operated stores is that where recycling services are available, stores are expected to recycle. In fact, at the end of fiscal 2006, 79 percent of our U.S. and Canada company-operated stores where Starbucks controls waste and recycling had recycling programs in place, a slight increase over the previous year.
Unfortunately, many local communities that offer comprehensive residential recycling may provide minimal or no commercial recycling, which limits our ability to provide recycling within our stores. In those cases, we encourage our customers to consider taking recyclable items such as glass and plastic bottles with them to recycle outside the store.
You can read more about Starbucks recycling and waste reduction efforts at www.starbucks.com. You can also read more about Starbucks environmental initiatives in our Corporate Social Responsibility report, also at www.starbucks.com.
