Beyond Plastics Says 53 Starbucks Cups Missed Recycling, Landing in Landfills or Incinerators
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 20
Beyond Plastics Says 53 Starbucks Cups Missed Recycling, Landing in Landfills or Incinerators
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 20
Summary
Beyond Plastics tracked 53 Starbucks cold-drink cups from in-store recycling bins across nine states and Washington, DC, and found none reached a recycling facility.
Of 36 trackers with intact final signals, 16 ended at landfills, nine at incinerators, eight at waste-transfer stations and three at materials recovery facilities that sort but do not recycle plastic.
The report challenges Starbucks' earlier claim that its polypropylene cups are "widely recyclable" under How2Recycle labeling, arguing acceptance in a bin is not the same as actual recycling.
Polypropylene can be recycled in theory, but Greenpeace said in late 2025 that only two U.S. facilities were commercially operating to reprocess it, underscoring the gap between labeling and infrastructure.
Beyond Plastics urged Starbucks to drop the recycling claims, shift to fiber-based cups and lids, and expand reusable options; Starbucks did not immediately respond.
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The Recycling Myth: Investigations Reveal Starbucks’ Plastic Cold Cups Rarely Get Recycled (2024–2026)
Overview
Recent investigations from 2024 to 2026 have revealed that Starbucks’ claims about the recyclability of its plastic cold cups do not match reality. Experts have questioned whether these polypropylene (No. 5 plastic) cups can actually be recycled, since most recycling facilities do not accept them due to contamination and high processing costs. Despite this, Starbucks continues to produce billions of disposable cups each year, with over 75% of U.S. beverage sales served in plastic cups. This high volume fuels a persistent environmental problem, challenging Starbucks’ public goal to cut its waste in half by 2030.