Paper Cups Special Instructions Certified compostable paper cups can go in the compost cart. Waxed paper cups are also compostable (the wax will scrape off with your fingernail). Other paper cups are typically lined with plastic and should go in the landfill cart. Please do not put any paper cups in the recycling cart. Not Just Paper Paper cups can’t be recycled because they’re not just made of paper; they’re usually also lined with plastic or wax to prevent the liquid from leaking through the cup. Recycle the Sleeves as Cardboard The sleeves are recyclable and should be disposed of with other cardboard products. Lids Are Plastic Coffee cup lids are made from plastic. Find out what to do with plastic lids. Ways to Reduce Save $0.10 Bringing Your Own at Starbucks Bring your own travel mug or tumbler to Starbucks, and you’ll get 10 cents off your cup of coffee. Did You Know? Why Don’t Most Starbucks Recycle Cups? As of 2013, Starbucks offered recycling in 39% of its stores. You’d think it would be universal, but there’s no great recycling technology for coffee cups yet, so many commercial recyclers don’t accept them, leaving Starbucks with nowhere to send the cups. Read more about Starbucks’ efforts to recycle and reduce waste here. Could Paper Cups Be Transformed into Biofuels? University of Manitoba researchers have been studying whether cups could conceivably be made into biofuels. So far, the results are pretty promising.
