The Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) called on Starbucks today to stop deceiving customers about the recyclability of the coffee giant’s single-use plastic cups. The gathering outside a Starbucks in South Burlington was part of a nationwide week of events in response to new data showing what actually happens to Starbucks plastic cold cups after they are tossed away.
Although Starbucks claims its plastic cups are “widely recyclable,” new data indicate that very few, if any, are actually being recycled. VPIRG shared data gathered through a nationwide tracker investigation conducted by Beyond Plastics, an organization based out of Bennington, Vermont. Beyond Plastics followed the path of dozens of polypropylene cups discarded in Starbucks’ in-store recycling bins, using Bluetooth-enabled trackers. Beyond Plastics could not confirm that a single tracked cup ended up at a recycling facility.
“Starbucks is a major player in the world of single-use plastics,” said Alexis Drown, Environmental Advocate at VPIRG. “This company is responsible for using an estimated 8 million plastic cups per day. That’s more than 5,000 cups per minute. And even though the cups have a useful life, that only lasts a few minutes, and plastic doesn’t decompose naturally. So, they could be around for hundreds of years.”
Drown pointed out that while plastics don’t generally biodegrade, they do break down into smaller and smaller pieces that are eventually characterized as microplastics. These microplastics pollute the environment, accumulate in wildlife, and potentially threaten human health.
Tracking data from Beyond Plastics found that most of these cups ended up in landfills and incinerators.
VPIRG’s actions aligned with other advocates across the country calling on Starbucks to stop deceiving customers about plastics recycling, switch from plastic cups to fiber-based alternatives, and follow their own existing policy of providing reusable mugs and glasses for customers who are dining at the store.
Advocates nationwide are calling on Starbucks to:
- Stop portraying its single-use plastic cold cups as “widely recyclable” when the company cannot demonstrate that the cups are actually being recycled at scale. This includes removing images and messaging that may lead customers to believe Starbucks plastic cups placed in-store recycling bins will be recycled.
- Honor existing Starbucks policy of providing reusable cups for beverages consumed inside the store. This means providing the funding, staffing, and signage to ensure this policy is enacted in each store.
- Replace plastic cups with fiber-based cups.
VPIRG’s Drown noted that plastic pollution contributes significantly to climate change and can involve thousands of toxic chemicals that leach into our environment. Plastic litter can also choke rivers, lakes, and oceans.
“I understand that Starbucks probably wants its customers to feel better about all those single-use plastic cups. But essentially patting them on the head and suggesting it’s all going to be OK because they’re recyclable is really just greenwashing the problem,” said Drown.
Vermont has won on these issues, including passing one of the nation’s strongest single-use plastic bans in 2019 and restricting PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” in packaging and a growing list of consumer products.
VPIRG helped to advocate for these policies and continues to urge manufacturers to reduce quantity and toxicity of the plastics they use.
To read Beyond Plastics’ 2026 report, “Tracking Starbucks’ Deceptive ‘Recyclability Claims,” please visit: beyondplastics.org/starbucks-cups