Starbucks Corporation, Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks: Start Using Only 100% Compostable, Biodegradable Plant Based Plastic Cups

According to their website, Starbucks beverages account for approximately 4 billion cups globally each year. ( ). While Starbucks plastic cups are currently made from recyclable materials, the fact is that most plastic waste generated globally is not recycled. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, only 8 percent or 2.7 million tons of the total plastic waste generated in the United States in 2011 was recovered for recycling. (http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/plastics.htm) It is also a fact, that unknown to most of us, most of the plastics that are collected for recycling in the United States ends up in landfills, instead of being recycled as we believed they would be. The reason for this is because most recyclable plastics have a low monetary value, and it is cheaper to purchase raw plastic materials to make new plastic products, than it is to send the recyclable plastics overseas to be processed into a reusable form.

Starbucks is a multi-billion dollar global corporation, that should be responsible for ensuring that the products it sells do not have a negative impact on the environment. Switching to plant based plastic beverage cups is an environmentally responsible choice for a corporation that sells approximately 4 billion cups of coffee yearly.

Compostable, biodegradable, plant based plastic alternatives are available on the market at an affordable cost that is comparable to the cost of traditional petroleum based plastic beverage cups. When plant based plastics break down they do not leave behind toxic residue which persist in the environment for an unknown length of time as traditional petroleum based plastics do.

The earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth. We all have a responsibility to take care of the environment in which we live.