In almost all cases, the trackers went to a landfill or an incinerator rather than a recycling center.
But it is unclear where such infrastructure exists.
KW Plastics did not respond to Grists request for comment.
Plastic cups aren’t recyclable, according to environmentalists.© Yellyana/Shutterstock
That leaves roughly 0 percent for recycling: a negligible amount, as the Environmental Protection Agency puts it.
Dell said the high-profile investigations embarrassed Starbucks and may have contributed to its move away from polypropylene cups.
Consumers do not want to feel guilty.
The Starbucks spokesperson said the company would continue to fund these and similar efforts.
This article originally appeared inGristathttps://grist.org/accountability/why-some-starbucks-locations-are-switching-from-plastic-to-paper-cups/.
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
