Starbucks Introducing Recycled-Content Cups

Starbucks Coffee Co. announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has granted its supplier of paper cups, Mississippi River Corp., approval to use recycled content in food packaging, specifically Starbucks hot beverage cups. Following successful testing, Starbucks expects to convert its hot beverage cups to 10 percent recycled material, an industry first.

"Starbucks goal is to convert hot cups in our U.S. company-operated retail stores by the end of calendar 2005. We will continue to explore ways to include recycled content in all Starbucks-branded paper goods in our stores," said Jim Donald, Starbucks’ eco-designate.

Starbucks has worked for more than two years with its suppliers Solo Cup Co., MeadWestvaco, and Mississippi River to obtain approval from the FDA for the recycled-content cup. For the first time in its history, the FDA granted approval to Mississippi River and its customers, MeadWestvaco and Solo Cup Company, this past September.

"We are tremendously excited to work with Starbucks, Solo Cup Co., and Mead Westvaco, on the introduction of the first-ever recycled content hot beverage cup containing FDA approved recycled pulp manufactured by our company," said Edward Logan III, Mississippi River’s president and CEO. "