Starbucks coffee shops project an environmentally friendly image; however, the Seattle-based company's paper cups whose accompanying sleeves state "help us help the planet" can't be recycled by local waste management.
Amy Schirf, Centre County Solid Waste Authority education counselor, said the county does not accept the coffee cups, and said she was not aware of any waste management group in Centre County accepting them.
Angie Chaplin, spokeswoman for Illinois-based Solo Cup Co., the company that manufactures Starbucks' cups, said that "the real issue is the lack of infrastructure."
She said the cup is recyclable, but needs to be recycled in the right facility, which most municipalities don't have.
A recycling center would have to be able to separate the polyethylene plastic coating from the paper in order to recycle the cup, she said. Polyethylene is a thermoplastic commodity used in products such as plastic bags.
Schirf suggested that customers add the cups to a compost pile to try to let them biodegrade.
Anna Kim-Williams, Starbucks spokeswoman, said she encourages customers to bring their own mugs, which she said helped North American Starbucks customers save more than 674,000 pounds of paper in 2006. Bringing one's own mug to Starbucks scores a 10-cent discount on coffee.
Theresa Stine (senior-English) said Starbucks should be more up-front.
"It's a shame if they advertise themselves as eco-friendly, and you're unable to recycle their stuff," she said.
Seattle's Best Coffee, a Starbucks brand that also serves coffee in non-recyclable cups, is available at locations around campus.
Chaplin said Solo has fully recyclable cups in development that use plant-based resins made from corn.
These recyclable cups are expected to be available in early 2008, but Chaplin said the corn demand is high right now, which may drive up the cost of the cups for potential buyers like Starbucks.
Starbucks goes through almost 2.3 billion paper cups a year, according to its annual report. Its cups boast 10 percent post-consumer recycled fiber (PCF), and its sleeves are 60 percent PCF.
Herschel Elliott, professor of agricultural engineering, said consumers look for practicality, comparing Starbucks' polyethylene-coated paper cups to Styrofoam, for which recycling is possible but not practical.
Starbucks' polyethylene-coated paper cups are industry-standard, and Starbucks was the first company to use 10 percent recycled material, according to the Environmental Defense's "Paper Calculator."
Compared to other coffee shops around town, Starbucks' cups appear on par in terms of environmental impact.
Jermaine Anderson, manager for Panera Bread, 148 S. Allen St., said his store's coffee cups are not recyclable.
Patrick Reed, a barista at Saint's Café, 123 W. Beaver Ave., said he doesn't know if their current paper cups can be recycled.
Laura Newcomer, Eco-Action spokeswoman, said carrying a reusable mug is a proactive idea.
"Not only will it save you a few cents, but it will go a long way to protecting our environment," she said.
