Many recycled Starbucks cups in Texas end up in landfills, an I-Team investigation found
NORTH TEXAS — A CBS national investigation found that Starbucks, one of the biggest users of plastic cups, advertises its recycling practices and provides recycling bins in some stores; however, some of those cups end up in the trash.
The I-Team partnered with CBS News and our sister stations across the country with the national investigation. We super-glued AirTags inside the plastic cups that Starbucks uses to serve its cold drinks, and then dropped the cups with the tracking devices at Starbucks stores with recycling bins.
A cup icon shows which stores claim to recycle the cups. We learned that, in some cases, the cup icon is on the landfill bin. Customers need to specifically look for what each Starbucks location claims to recycle.
For weeks, the I-Team traced the cups dropped inside seven locations in Garland, Plano, Frisco, Irving, Hurst, Highland Park and Fort Worth.
Out of the seven, four of the AirTags did not stay connected, so they could not be tracked to their final destinations.
The AirTag dropped at the Starbucks in Irving was traced to Balcones Recycling Center in Dallas. Balcones' website states it's the "largest independent recycler…in the Southwest."
The cup dropped at a Starbucks in Plano went to a landfill in Plano. The cup left in a Starbucks recycling bin in Hurst now appears to be in a landfill in Kennedale.
The Texas findings are what researchers both nationally and locally say are similar to results in other undercover projects with Starbucks and a variety of companies across the country that also recycle.
"I think the recycling system in America is clearly broken, and particularly in states like Texas," said Luke Metzger with Environment Texas Research & Policy Center. "Starbucks really has been thinking about this and waste reduction for decades now, and I think, to their credit, you know, making good strides on that. There's clearly much more that needs to be done."
The I-Team shared the Texas data with Metzger who admitted it's only a small sampling; however, he says it is consistent with Texas statistics on recycling.
Metzger said the advocacy group has learned only about 30% of statewide waste is recycled.
A research project from Ball and Eunomia Research & Consulting finds Texas is ranked 44th in the nation in recycling efforts.
It also finds plastics in Texas are recycled less than cardboard, metal and glass.
Starbucks responds
CBS News Environmental correspondent David Schechter took the results of the CBS national investigation to Starbucks.
"That is unacceptable. It's disappointing," said Amelia Landers, Vice President of Product Innovation.
Schechter asked Landers if Starbucks is being honest with its customers.
"What we're focused on is what we can control, which is the education for our customers … once it leaves our store, there are a number of elements that can come into play- that don't guarantee that it lands up in the right place."
What can you do to help?
In Texas, Environment Texas recommends a collective effort to solve recycling concerns and landfill overload.
Metzger said consumers need to start using reusable cups and bring them to places, such as Starbucks, which accept and allow customers to use them inside their stores.
He said companies need to embrace those efforts and make sure they are following through with recycling promises.
And, lastly, Metzger said the Texas government should support bottle bills and container deposits to encourage customers to bring those back to stores to recycle.