Did you know that old paper cups can be recycled cost effectively? Thanks to Starbucks for sending 18 truckloads of old paper cups to a Wisconsin paper mill, we can now rest easy knowing that these pesky paper cups can be recycled.
Earlier in 2018- 25 million cups from excess inventory at Starbucks that were supposed to be sent to the landfill were processed at the Wisonsin paper mill, Sustana. After the process was finished, the cups were sent over to another partner to be used as paperboard for new Starbucks cups. Talk about useful!
This entire project was a way to “demonstrate that a coffee cup can be turned back into a coffee cup,” says Jay Hunsberger VP of sales from Sustana. There has always been a big misconception that certain paper cups cannot be recycled because of their plastic lining, but thanks to Starbucksand Sustana for showing us that it can in fact be done.
Rebecca Zimmer, global director of environment at Starbucks explained, “Starbucks advocates for a national approach to provide a more consistent experience for consumers.” Currently, Starbucks is aiming for a single-use coffee cup redesign that will be easily recyclable. However, we all know that the number one option would be for the consumers to use reusable mugs and coffee cups for their orders. London is trying out a new tactic by charging customers for using paper cups, instead of bringing their own. Overall, the goal is to encourage customers to opt for a reusable mug and keep the amount of paper cups used to a minimum.
Thanks to Starbucks, the myth that these cups cannot be recycled is now defeated. Our next step is to gain traction on consumers using their own bottles, mugs and cups. It looks like REUZBL is already ahead of the game!
