US group says Starbucks plastic cups marked recyclable end up in trash
An environmental nonprofit group claims that Starbucks' plastic cups, labeled as recyclable, often end up in landfills instead. Beyond Plastics tracked 36 cups and found that none reached a recycling facility. Starbucks disputes the study's methodology and emphasizes the importance of local recycling infrastructure.
- ▪Beyond Plastics tracked 36 single-use polypropylene cups from Starbucks and found that 33 ended up in landfills or incinerators.
- ▪Starbucks has stated that its cups are considered 'widely recyclable' based on a designation from How2Recycle.
- ▪Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics, urges Starbucks to stop labeling its plastic cups as recyclable and switch to fiber-based alternatives.
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US group says Starbucks plastic cups marked recyclable end up in trashSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxFILE PHOTO: An employee poses with a cup of water at a Starbucks coffeehouse in Austin, Texas, U.S., February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammad Khursheed/File PhotoPublished May 21, 2026, 01:09 AMUpdated May 21, 2026, 01:14 AMListenMay 20 - Starbucks' plastic single-use cups it often serves in U.S. cafes are not as recyclable as the company claims, an environmental nonprofit group said on Wednesday.Vermont-based Beyond Plastics attached location trackers to 36 single-use polypropylene cups earlier this year and placed them in recycling bins inside Starbucks' cafes across the country. None of the cups were tracked to a recycling facility, the group said.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.