Story perspectives

Tracked Starbucks Cups Never Recycled, End Up in Landfills

5/21/2026

Summary

Story summary

Beyond Plastics attached trackers to 53 Starbucks cups and tracked them from recycling bins in nine states.
The trackers showed none of the cups reached recycling, with many pinging from landfills or transfer stations.
Starbucks said recycling outcomes depend on local infrastructure and contamination, and called the methodology questionable.
Beyond Plastics urged Starbucks to replace cups with fiber-based alternatives, citing research linking waste to respiratory illness and cancer.

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Story summary

Beyond Plastics attached trackers to 53 Starbucks cups and tracked them from recycling bins in nine states.
The trackers showed none of the cups reached recycling, with many pinging from landfills or transfer stations.
Starbucks said recycling outcomes depend on local infrastructure and contamination, and called the methodology questionable.
Beyond Plastics urged Starbucks to replace cups with fiber-based alternatives, citing research linking waste to respiratory illness and cancer.