Starbucks Will Use Cups With 10% Recycled Paper
Although permission was not required, Starbucks and its pulp manufacturer, the Mississippi River Corporation, decided to seek Food and Drug Administration approval for the new cup material, which is made from paper that had previous consumer uses. In September, Mississippi River and Starbucks received approval under the agency’s two-year-old food contact notification program.
This is a nice thing to see in the paper. They estimate that it will save about five million pounds per year in virgin tree fiber. I do hope that Starbucks doesn’t stop here and continues to research other ways in which they can better the environment.
Some other food companies have made their own efforts. McDonald’s uses recycled material in its napkins, tray liners, meal boxes and its carryout trays and bags. The company says it is the largest user of recycled paper in the food service industry, buying $100 million worth of material. Two years ago, Coca-Cola started using 10 percent recycled plastic for its bottles.
As an ex-Starbucks employee I’m very happy to know they at least care enough about their image to do something… or maybe it really is just for the environment.
Cool! We will do our part by planting more trees on the Leavenworth property.