Fact check: Are Starbucks paper cups recyclable?

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — Paper, plastic, with straws or without, Starbucks’ cups inspire a lot of passion in the coffee shop’s customers.

The commonly seen cups have been the subject of hundreds, if not thousands, of posts on social media. However, some recent posts allege that Starbucks paper coffee cups are not recyclable.

One such post features a video where a woman soaks a Starbucks paper cup in hot water overnight to reveal the cup’s plastic lining.

“Clearly, this is not a paper cup, it’s a paper and plastic cup, which means it can’t be recycled,” the woman states.

While it is true that the cups do contain plastic, that does not rule them out for being recyclable. Jeffrey Meyers of Rumpke Waste and Recycling, which provides service in Ohio, told NBC4 that the company does accept Starbucks and other paper cups for processing.

“Many cups have a poly-lining now, and the process for working with them has advanced to the point where that doesn’t affect the ability to recycle the material,” Meyers wrote in an email.

Meyers also broke down what is accepted and how to prepare cups, lids and other items from Starbucks and fast food restaurants.

• Plastic coffee cup lids : Put the lids on the cups when you put them in the bin, they will get to the proper places when they go through the process.
• Rinsing cups clean: The cups should be empty and as clean as possible, but there is no need to rinse or wash the cups before putting them in the bins.
• Starbucks plastic cold cups and lids: They take Starbucks and other fast food plastic cups and lids. Again, the best thing to do is make sure they are empty and as clean as possible (no need to wash) and put the lid back on before you toss them in the recycling bin.

Once the cups are processed at Rumpke’s material recovery facility, they are sent to paper mills for reuse.

“Paper cups processed at Rumpke’s recycling facilities will be made into cardboard and paperboard products, plastic cups will be used to make new plastic containers and aluminum cups will be made into aluminum cans,” Rumpke’s website states.

There are some Starbucks items that should be kept out of the recycling bin, including straws and stoppers.

Additionally, for the ultimate environmentally conscious trip to Starbucks, coffee lovers can always bring their own cup to the shop. But if a reusable mug is not available, people should not stress over putting their paper cup in the with the recycling.

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