Starbucks Cups Landfill Bound Despite Recycling Claims, Investigation Finds

Starbucks is facing criticism from environmentalists who claim the company is misleading consumers by asserting its plastic cups are "widely recyclable." An investigation by Vermont-based Beyond Plastics found that most of the single-use plastic cups disposed of in Starbucks recycling bins ended up in landfills or incinerators.

Beyond Plastics placed 69 Bluetooth-enabled trackers in Starbucks recycling bins across various locations. Of the 47 trackers that provided data, 23 indicated the cups were taken to landfills and 11 to incinerators. Ten additional trackers showed cups at waste transfer stations, a common stop before landfills, and three reached materials recovery facilities, which sort recyclables. However, the nonprofit reported that not a single cup was confirmed to have been recycled.

"It’s kind of stunning that they won’t tell the public where this plastic is going after people dutifully make sure it’s clean and put it in the special recycling bin," said Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics and a former regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Environmental advocates are planning protests in several New York locations to pressure Starbucks to stop what they describe as "rubbish claims." They are also calling for the passage of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which would mandate reductions in plastic packaging and require companies to reimburse municipalities for waste management expenses.

In 2020, Starbucks set a goal to make all customer packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2030. In February, the company, in a joint press release with waste hauler WM (formerly Waste Management), announced that its polypropylene (No. 5 plastic) cold beverage cups were now "widely recyclable," with Starbucks stating that over 60% of U.S. households could recycle them in their curbside bins.

One tracked Starbucks cup last pinged at a waste facility in Peekskill, New York, an area identified by Beyond Plastics as a significant source of air pollution. Courtney Williams, founder of the Westchester Alliance for Sustainable Solutions, questioned how much of Starbucks' $1.8 billion North American profit from the previous year was derived from plastic waste.

Susan Keefe, Southern California director for Beyond Plastics, estimated that Starbucks uses approximately 1 million plastic cups daily, based on company data. She criticized Starbucks for customizing its bins with labels like "landfill," "recycling," and "compost," which she argued is particularly deceptive given the ultimate destination of most of the waste. She noted that even when cups are sent to recycling facilities, they can end up in distant landfills.

Starbucks has also been investing in store retrofits, including furniture and plants, and has encouraged in-store customers to use reusable ceramic mugs. However, Keefe observed that the use of these mugs appeared minimal, and many customers seemed unaware they were available for in-store use.

Beyond Plastics is urging Starbucks to cease its claims about recyclability, remove in-store recycling visuals, switch to fiber-based cups, and enforce its reusable mug policy. The company's website acknowledges the challenges of recycling, noting that contamination can render entire batches unrecyclable and that waste management practices can vary by location and landlord. Starbucks did not respond to requests for comment regarding the investigation.