SEATTLE - Seattle's new rules requiring restaurants to provide recyclable or compostable containers for all food and beverages take effect this week and today one of the world's largest chains announced it is in compliance.
Spokespeople for the Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee say they were able to make their cups recyclable without changing a thing about them.
"In the City of Seattle, we were able to negotiate with our recyclers to accept these products into their recycling system," said Jim Hanna, Starbucks' Director of Environmental Impact.
Recycling experts like King County EcoConsumer Tom Watson welcome the news but warn the path to proper disposal can be tricky.
Coffee cups have components like lids and sleeves. Other restaurants offer cups similar to Starbucks' recyclable cups that are actually compostable cups.
Starbucks has installed clearly marked bins in their stores, but Watson says consumers need to figure out what goes where. He says the best way to avoid any confusion is to bring your own washable cup into the coffee store with you to be refilled.
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