Cup Monster journeys to GeekWire Summit in Seattle, reminding onlookers why Starbucks needs a 100% recyclable cup

October 12, 2017

“As Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson took the stage (on Tuesday, October 10) to kick off the 2017 GeekWire Summit, a giant structure with bloodshot eyes, made of more than 500 used Starbucks coffee cups loomed over the Seattle Sheraton, and his name is Grounds.”

And so begins the GeekWire story on Stand.earth’s Better Cup campaign calling on Starbucks to live up to its 2008 promise to make a 100% recycled paper cup.

Early in the morning Tuesday, October 10th, dozens of activists gathered outside the Sheraton Seattle — the location of the 2017 GeekWire Summit, where Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson was a featured speaker — to spread the word about Starbucks dirty secret: Their unrecyclable cup. 

We etched the #BetterCup hashtag into the sidewalks with chalk. We deployed the 10+ foot tall Cup Monster to capture the attention of attendees. And, for more than 5 hours on Tuesday, our activists donned faux Starbucks caps and aprons and asked attendees to reach out to Starbucks with a special message:

Geekwire Summit, tell @Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson to stop serving an unrecyclable paper cup and give us cup 2.0! #GWsummit #BetterCup pic.twitter.com/s3Ir8WbYX1

— Stand.earth (@standearth) October 10, 2017

Check out some of our favorite photos and videos from yesterday’s event, including a message from 11 year old Azure, on why everyone must demand a better cup from Starbucks. 

Here’s what Azure Faloona (age 11) has to say about #Starbucks’ unrecyclable paper cups… #GWSummit #BetterCup pic.twitter.com/6uxFPWB3L6

— Stand.earth (@standearth) October 10, 2017

Guess who’s back? The Cup Monster! Every @Starbucks paper cup that gets thrown out, makes it stronger!! #GWSummit #BetterCup #notrecyclable pic.twitter.com/vhHZld2d9O

— Stand.earth (@standearth) October 10, 2017

.@Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson is speaking this morning at the Geekwire Summit so we thought we’d drop in to visit! #GWSummit #BetterCup pic.twitter.com/zuyN9T7oIq

— Stand.earth (@standearth) October 10, 2017

You can find even more photos and video on Twitter by using the #bettercup hashtag. Learn more about the Better Cup campaign at www.bettercup.earth.