WaPo: Lies about plastics recycling far surpass the actual activity studied
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Group tracking Starbucks cold cups says none made it to recycling facility
The coffee giant recently touted its cold-beverage cups as “widely recyclable.”
May 20, 2026 at 3:03 p.m. EDTYesterday at 3:03 p.m. EDT
3 min
Summary61
Starbucks took issue with the methodology of the Beyond Plastics investigation, in part citing that the tracking devices are made of materials that are not recyclable, which could change where materials are routed. (Lindsey Wasson/AP)
By Naema Ahmed
Starbucks recently touted their cold-beverage cups as “widely recyclable” — but new findings from an advocacy group indicate none of the ones they tracked ended up in a recycling facility.
The findings released Wednesday by Beyond Plastics, an environmental group advocating against plastic pollution, highlights the extent to which recycling efforts in the United States continue to fall short. On Feb. 2, Starbucks and allied groups announced that polypropylene “to‑go cups are entering a new era of recyclability,” and more than 60 percent of U.S. households could recycle them curbside.
“Plastic that is collected for recycling versus plastic that is actually recycled into other products are two completely different things,” said Susan Keefe, who led the report and is Beyond Plastics’s Southern California director. “And that gap is really the whole story.”
Keefe mentioned that of the small fraction of plastic that is being recycled in the U.S., hardly any of it is polypropylene 5.Ask The Post AIDive deeper
To test the recent claim from Starbucks, Beyond Plastics placed 53 Bluetooth-enabled trackers inside the company’s in-store recycling bins in 35 locations across nine states and Washington, D.C. A total of 36 trackers provided data over the course of three months, the group reported, and none of them sent a signal from an actual recycling facility.
Instead, 30 percent ended up in a landfill and 17 percent in an incinerator. Six percent of the trackers made it to materials recovery facilities, which sort and bale plastics but are not typically actual recycling operations.Ask The Post AIDive deeper
“Our cups are designed to be recyclable, and the ‘widely accepted for recycling’ designation reflects that,” Starbucks said in a statement in response to the new findings. “Obviously, recycling in practice also requires local community infrastructure. That’s why we work closely with others, including the recycling companies, to help expand access and help improve the system.” Starbucks said it takes issue with the methodology of the Beyond Plastics investigation, in part citing that the tracking devices are made of materials that are not recyclable, which could change where materials are routed.Ask The Post AIDive deeper
Along with the tracking findings, the report offered recommendations to the company such as removing images of recycled cups from bin, offering ceramic or glass cups to customers dining in and switching from plastic to fiber-based to-go cups.
“When a company tells you something is being recycled, and it isn’t, it doesn’t just mislead the customer,” said Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics. “It also takes the pressure off for real solutions, which is using less plastic in the first place.”
What readers are saying
The comments reflect a strong skepticism about the effectiveness of recycling, particularly concerning plastics, with many expressing the belief that most recyclable materials end up in landfills. There is criticism of corporate practices, such as those of Starbucks, which are... Show more
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By Naema Ahmed
Naema Ahmed is a graphics reporter on The Washington Post's climate and environment team. Before joining The Post, she worked at Axios as a data visualization designer.follow on X@NaemaAhmed