According to a recent investigation, major coffee companies Starbucks and Tim Hortons are not being very honest about their recycling practices. The companies are actually throwing the contents of their recycling bins into the regular garbage.
Reports indicate that these practices have been going on for years and that the companies knew that it was occurring the entire time. Store managers have long seen their trash bins and dumpsters filled with recyclable paper cups.
In response to these allegations, Starbucks has stated that it is reviewing its disposal practices and that it regrets any disappointment that it has likely caused. Tim Hortons declined to comment.
Some store managers for Starbucks have stated that they tried to question their superiors about these flawed practices, but they were simply told to worry about something “more important”.
These managers have said that they are frustrated by the fact that Starbucks puts on an image of being environmentally conscious when, in reality, the company is a terrible offender.
Some employees for Starbucks have stated that the disposal bins in Starbucks contain three holes that are designed to separate recyclables. However, these bins only contain one garbage bag so that everything gets mixed together. This bag is, of course, thrown in the garbage.
One former Starbucks employee said, “I was instructed that they do get thrown out, because we actually do not recycle at that facility.”
Another former employee added, “Every syrup container and frap base container is thrown in the garbage every day. We threw out garbage bag after garbage bag every night. Not to mention the compost that could be made of the coffee grounds that were constantly thrown out.”
Meanwhile, customers at Tim Hortons who think they are being environmentally friendly by bringing in their own reusable portable coffee mugs are being lied to.
The coffee is made in a paper cup before being poured into a travel mug. This is for the purpose of restricting the amount of coffee that is given out. The paper cup is then simply thrown out.
Many workers of Tim Hortons have stated that when it is time for recyclables to be collected, the recyclables are simply put into black garbage bags and disposed with the rest of the garbage.
Both Starbucks and Tim Hortons have long been considered leaders in recycling. In their annual reports, they always discuss the importance of having environmentally-friendly practices. But it turns out that they’re some of the biggest offenders in the industry.
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