Some baristas are telling customers that Starbucks cups are recyclable. (Wrong!)

"Starbucks promotes recycling on its cups, but the cups themselves aren't recyclable here [in Columbus, OH] or in most other cities nationwide," writes reporter David Conrad. "But many employees have been telling customers otherwise. They say their Seattle-based employer never made the situation clear." Starbucks could have a recyclable cup, says a SOLO Cup Co. representative, but they'd have to pay more for it.  (Columbus Dispatch)

Comments

[baristacee]

as far as i know the cold cups are recyclable, but not the hot cups.

[Zipy]

*shrugs* it's not like anyone really ever told us. I would assumed they were recyclable, but it would be my best guess. We're retail workers, probably more then half of us being kids -- what do you expect.

[EaganASM]

Who cares...people try to bash starbucks for the littlest thing....who cares...we do make your marks and are involved in many community events...that is a little more caring then cups...they are using the money they save on cheaper cups to do good in other ways. the reporter also writes that starbucks doesn't offer reusable mugs...At all the Starbucks I have worked at....Ceramic mugs are available upon request....poorly educated on starbucks culture will be the death of any reporter....Get over it. Starbucks is AWESOME!!!!

[Bladerunner]

Yes we all can do more. Buy a cup, bring one you already have, use that cup, so you use less paper. And you get 10 cents off your drink. Don't wait for someone else to save the planet for you. Encourage other to do the same:)

Re-use your cup for drip coffe or iced tea ( no lemonade) and get a 50 cent re-fill! Save money AND the environment!

[Deusx]

The Dispatch is pissy because they get placed second on the shelf below the NY Times. The only paper less credible than the Dispatch is possibly the Columbus Alive. I'd get a less biased report surfing the Fox News Network most days.

[Deusx]

Oh yeah, Shout out to Columbus Baristas!

Former One Columbus coffee slave ;)

[Not in Columbus]

Okay, but I see you didn't dispute what it wrote about Starbucks. So much for it being a "green" company.

>>> The only paper less credible than the Dispatch is possibly the Columbus Alive.

[Herman M.]

What's to dispute? The cup is not recycleable. Any partner who says otherwise without checking their info is, well, wrong.

The paper can say what it wants. If it is far enough off base, it is not up to the people on this website to defend Starbucks, that's what the legal department is for.

But, since you want it:

"Starbucks cups aren't compostable, and the company doesn't offer free reusable cups. But it sells travel mugs and offers a 10-cent discount to customers who bring their own cups."

Sure we sell travel cups. Have since at least my first exposure in the 90's. But we also have mugs for customers that wish to use them.

"Starbucks said that a more-recyclable cup wasn't an option, but the cup manufacturer disagreed."

Anything is available for a price. The real question is with the volume used does that price make sense? Take into mind the issues many markets have getting even rudimentary recycling on site. Add to that the fact that a "to go" cup is by it's very nature unlikely to end up in our recycle bins, but rather at a location that does not have any option other than a trash can. Is the additional cost to the customer worth it? Most customers would say no, based on the recent modest increases.

And finally, why do you want to make Starbucks the issue here, read the following:

"Anything can be recycled, but "The system is not designed to take the individual Starbucks cups," said Steve Sargent, director of recycling for Rumpke Recycling, Columbus' largest recycler.

Waste Management, North America's largest recycler, won't take the cups, either."

So, the problem is that the major recyclers are not willing to incur the cost to recycle this type of cup. If they are not, why should Starbucks be painted as the bad guy?

...and let's not forget the good work Starbucks pushed through the bureaucracy to get the ability to use cups made with post consumer reclaimed fiber. First time that's been allowed.

[Jacob]

If for-here mugs are available, why not encourage customers to use them? The Italian espresso bars that Starbuck's was inspired by primarily serve coffee drinks in ceramic mugs and cups, not paper (coated in plastic) cups.

[Deusx]

Not in Columbus,

I didn't bother defending Starbucks because the story is trite and misleading. I would think anyone with critical thinking would realize upon reading the story that the writer had a bias.

1. Starbucks does and has offered free reusable mugs and plates for in store customers, anyone who has been in a Starbucks would know this, yet the writer apparently did not or chose to lie.

2. In any reputable piece where one is comparing the practices of a certain business type, you don't just compare one company to another. This makes the piece more about extolling the virtues of Cup O' Joe versus Starbucks, instead of what the coffee industry in Columbus is doing. That makes the piece more an editorial than an article. If the author were concerned about which companies were using green practices, he failed to discuss the two other prevalant corporate chains in Columbus.

3. Starbucks cups ARE recyclable, any barista who says so is totally correct. The issue is that most companies who recycle paper choose NOT to recycle them. There is a difference in those two states of being.

4. Really this is a response to Jacob's question, "If for-here mugs are available, why not encourage customers to use them?"

Well Jacob, for one it's not an if, they are available. Secondly, most stores have them in plain sight on the bar. Why should it be my job to convince customers that they should be enviromentally aware? I wash the damned things, I display them so they are obviously avaiable and I cheerfully provide one if the customer asks for one. Now I also need to hold an adult's hand so they can make a choice to use a less wasteful cup? Do I also need to remind them to not leave the water running in the sink while washing their hands? Should I remind them to compost their coffee grounds when I sell them beans? Maybe I should also sit next to the recyclables bin and remind people to separate their trash?

I think Starbucks does enough by providing the alternatives and making the obviously available, it is unreasonable to expect the employees and corporation to also to hold the hands of those to thoughtless to avail themselves of the "greener" options.

[Deanne Martin]

THEY ARE MADE FROM RECYCLED PRODUCTS BUT NOT RECYCLABLE

Starbucks cups are made from 10% (it may be higher, but I'm pretty sure it's 10%) post consumer recycled material. You can read it right on the cup.

Hot cups only, cold are not yet made from post consumer recycled products.

[Not in Columbus]

So what if they're made from 10% post-consumer recycled issue -- THE POINT IS Starbucks is unwilling to pay for cups that can be recycled. Read the article.

[columbusite]

I have been a loyal Starbucks customer for 5 years, and I have NEVER been "offered" a mug. The article said Starbucks doesn't offer, it said nothing about whether they were provided.

Anyway, THAT'S NOT THE POINT. and it is completely trite and captious to bash the past of the Dispatch to make some point.

The cups aren't recyclable. The could be, but Starbucks doesn't want to fork over the extra money. I still love Starbucks, but the article was good and correct. Why are people so damn rude in this country!

[columbusite]

By the way. I am a district manager for Starbucks and I have been waiting for someone to write this article for a long time. A LOT of people have!

Don't you remember all those posts on "why doesn't your store recycle your cups?" or "Is it just my store that doesn't recycle the cups?" ... Well here's your reason!

What point is there to bash the writer when his purpose was obviously an admirable one? The only bias I read was that "saving the planet is good and recycling is good." Just because you love Starbucks, doesn't mean you have to hate anyone that says anything that isn't overwhelming positive.

[reportingnewyork]

I agree with columbusite.

And I actually e-mailed David Conrad today, and asked if he would change the wording of the part about the cups not being recyclable in the online version of the story because it is distracting some people.

Did any of you haters try that? He e-mailed me back minutes later, and apologized for the confusion. He said he already sent a request for the wording to be changed from offer (which I actually think is right, because I have never heard a barista offer me a mug and living in NYC I've been to probably a billion of the stores) to "available upon request" and will be fixed today.

I like Starbucks, but some of the viscious personalities that posted on here makes me want to reconsider.

[reportingnewyork]

I shouldn't be typing while on the train: I meant he said he would change the part about the store not offering "reusable cups." The not being recyclable part was one hundred percent correct. The company actually sent out a press release to all their stores this week confirming it.

[sarahmanning]

I'm a barista at the Ohio State University starbucks. And our store loved the article! Props to Mr. Conrad!

We have been asking Corporate for months as to why we don't have a recycling plan for the cups. But we kept getting the shaft. Were we the only store trying? Maybe now they will try a little harder to find alternatives to the cups. I mean we have posters all over our store here about a race Starbucks is promoting. The theme of the race is: "reuse- recycle".

Come on people, Starbucks is more than kinda hypocritical! It's about time the Dispatch got some guts with a story in my opinion. Starbucks rules but they also have communicating problems. Anyone who has been with the store for over a month should know that!

[carol]

"By the way. I am a district manager for Starbucks and I have been waiting for someone to write this article for a long time. A LOT of people have!"

Oh please, you are as much a DM as I am, stop pretending to be something you aren't.

[Deusx]

Sigh..how about you two read the article. The cups ARE recyclable, the recycling yards CHOOSE NOT TO RECYCLE THEM. Even in the article it says that they could be recycled but locally no companies will.

And Columbusite, I know all the DMs in this area and I highly doubt you are one of them.

[Dev]

Winnipeg, Manitoba recycles them! Starbucks stores there have seperate, specially labelled bins just for paper cups. I've since moved to Vancouver, BC where we don't have that kind of program. It really is too bad that the stores and consumers in other cities don't have that choice

The issue here is who should cover the extra cost: Starbucks, by ordering Solo's more recycle-friendly cups; or local recycle companies by somehow upgrading their capabilities

[beverly]

I think it's both Starbucks and the recycling companies fault.

Even in the article, the guy from Rumpke said that if Starbucks set up a program with them, then they could probably find a home for the cups. Maybe now that this dicussion has really started, we'll see some changes. I work at a Starbucks in Upper Arlington (Columbus) and I know I'm going to push for a program.

And shame on anyone who got upset with the Dispatch for this story! If there were more stories like this out there, than I would probably subsribe to a newspaper. haha. And I agree there is no way a DM would reveal his "true" identity on here. Starbucks has a whipped to bad for that. jk!

[brianwatts]

DM or not I agree with columbusite (despite his wack name). I knew the cups weren't recyclable last year and I've thought that the company has been misleading about it for a min, truly. I actually wish the article was more strongly worded against Starbucks on this front, I certainly would have had a lot to say at least.

But I still love the coffee! AND my girl who works there haha

[HopkinsBella]

Jacob, Starbucks could encourage customers to use the in-house, washable cups, but they don't. Many years ago when I worked for Starbucks, we were expressly told by our SM in our store to not encourage the use of the cups, and to keep them out of the visual line of sight for the customers coming in to order. Since promoting myself to customer, I've had partners and shifts look at me like I'm crazy when I *ask* to use an in-house, washable cup versus disposable paper. Starbucks as environmentally conscious/friendly, my a**.

[Darleen]

Starbucks has a whipped to bad for that. jk!

Ummmm,....... WHAT???

[Darleen]

I have been a loyal Starbucks customer for 5 years, and I have NEVER been "offered" a mug

I still love Starbucks, but the article was good and correct. Why are people so damn rude in this country!

By the way. I am a district manager for Starbucks and I have been waiting for someone to write this article for a long time.

Okay, so correct me if I'm wrong here. First you say you are a loyal customer for 5 years, then call people damn rude (not using star skills) and, in the next breath state that you are a DM? I'm gonna have to call bullsh*t.

[baristaanon]

in my city we DO recycle the hot cups as well as the sleeves and the cold cups. we use a vermicomposting outfit. all that is left is the thin lining of the cup!!!!

[breanne]

Wel... I checked and they aren't recyclable here in Cleveland. I thought they were before the article.

[Emily]

I don't offer people for here cups, because maybe about 1/50 people wants to stay in the store. Bah.
I used to work in a cafe where, for a long time, we didn't have a proper dish washing set up, so we couldn't offer "for here" mugs. You wouldn't imagine how angry people got! People left (probably for Starbucks). And yes, I'm sure the hot cups are "technically" recyclable, it depends where you live. In Canada (Ontario) we don't recycle soy/chai tetra packs because anything foil lined they won't take.
Anyone who would get angry about this issue anyway, in my experience at least, is bound to have a travel cup, or they're sort of hypocrites (not that I don't think they SHOULD be recyclable).

[ex-sbuxmanager]

I think that the real problem is not whether the cups are recyclable or not. It really depends on the customer's willingness to adhere to the in-store recycling programs. By the way, most customers don't give a shit about it. I've worked in stores with recycling bins and everyone pretty much just puts everything in any hole they see. They put garbage in bus tubs (supposed to be used for for here plates), they put garbage in the recycling bins, they put garbage in the merchandise baskets, and they put garbage in the grounds for your gardens baskets.

I'm as "green" as anyone out there, and anyone who reads my posts would know that I don't really defend this company too much, but why should starbucks spend a ton of money making the cups recyclable when the customers for the most part, won't recycle them.

On the other hand, Starbucks should stop being so proud of the measly 10 cents they offer for bringing in your own cup. If they were really serious about being eco-friendly, they would change it to 25 cents or 10 percent of the drink, which ever is more. And they would start letting the baristas know about it. Half the time when I go into a store with my travel tumbler, they don't push the button, and if I ask for it, they look at me like I want a Venti Chantico with whip.

[Dev]

I agree about the cup discount. It's quite measly. I can understand the frustration about our customers not bothing to recycle our materials, but I don't think that's reason not to try. Every store is different in regards customers wanting "for here" mugs, but recently my store has started asking almost every customer if they're staying in or not, and we've found that we can't keep up with customer's demand for them and we run out!

If you put in that extra effort, people do follow suit.

[brit]

when some one gets a venti frappuccino through the drive-thru do you think they are recyclying their cups everyday?? it is easier to blame tehn to recognize what we all do as individulas. why keep starbucks at such a high standard if individuals can not keep them theirselves? plus if the company that does "recycling" can not recycle the cups then why make them recyclable?

[LM]

I've been with the company for almost 7 years and I think that we have come a long way in regards to recycling and our part in cleaning the environment. I make all of my partners use "for here" mugs during their shift and to encourage customers to use them as well. Customers love sitting in the comfy chairs with their ceramic mugs. On another note, all of our cold cups are able to be recycled, but how many times do you see them in the trash and all over the parking lot? What I say is, I do my part in recycling. I offer "for here" drinks as well. Every person makes a difference in my eyes. And just last month a group of 40 employees in the area got together to clean up the trash for "clean the bay". So don't think that Starbucks doesn't care about the environment. We always volunteer our time to help out. We all, as humans, need to do our part.

THE CUPS ARE MADE OUT OF RECYCLED PAPER

[dustin]

in the most recent starbucks annual report there is a section that focuses on this issue. starbucks claims they are trying to find a way to make the hot cups recyclable. to say the baristas are not informed is incorrect.