Toward a More Circular Economy

While recycling might seem straightforward, it’s actually quite complex and challenging. Every city and jurisdiction has different rules, systems, and capabilities. 

Starbucks recognizes we can only act on things that are in our control, so we work with hundreds of haulers nationwide to collect and recycle our cold cups, along with other recyclables, compost, and trash. We encourage you to look for signage and bins in your community coffeehouses to clearly identify recyclable items, sort your waste carefully, empty liquids into the trash, and separate lids and straws as instructed. 

Understanding the challenges recyclables face in reaching the right destination, we have focused our efforts on innovative solutions like improved and reusable cups to make a more significant, lasting impact and keep more plastic out of waste streams altogether.