Environmental Campaign Against Starbucks Escalates with New Report and Protest by the “Starbucks Cup Monster” at Seafair Festival Launch

Festival Launch Report, called “Trashed: the Secret of the Starbucks Cup,” Highlights Starbucks’ Broken Promises on Cup Recycling

PRESS ADVISORY – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHAT:
Stand.earth is releasing a new report today called “Trashed: The Secret of the Starbucks Cup,” which highlights Starbucks’ broken promises on cup recycling. In 2008, the company committed to stop destroying forests by making a 100% recyclable cup and encouraging the use of reusable cups. Nine years later, Starbucks has made little to no progress on meeting its commitments. 
 
In conjunction with the release, Stand.earth’s “Starbucks Cup Monster,” a 10+ foot tall monster made of more than 1,000 Starbucks cups, will appear at tomorrow’s launch of the Seafair Festival, which is sponsored by Starbucks. Last seen at the Starbucks Shareholders’ meeting in March, the Cup Monster will be promoting the report.

WHEN:
Wednesday, June 14, 2017, 11:00am

WHERE:
Westlake Center, 400 Pine St., Seattle, WA 98101

WHY:
Starbucks customers assume their cups are recyclable, but this is not true in most cases. Stand.earth’s new report, viewed here, explains how Starbucks cups cannot be processed in most recycling facilities because of their plastic lining. Instead, most of these cups end up in landfills.

Starbucks serves over four billion cups annually, 4.5 times the weight of the Brooklyn Bridge.

“In 2008, Starbucks promised it would develop a recyclable cup, but it has not delivered,” said Ross Hammond of Stand.earth. “Customers don’t want more fancy-flavored frappucinos, they want a better, recyclable cup.”