US coffee shop chain Starbucks has announced that one of its supply chain members, Mississippi River Corp, has been granted the first-ever approval by the US Food and Drug Administration to use recycled content in food packaging, specifically Starbucks hot beverage cups.
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Starbucks described the approval as an important step in the integration of leading environmental practices into its business. Following successful testing, Starbucks expects to convert its hot beverage cups to 10% recycled material, in what the company says is an industry first.
“Beginning to use post-consumer recycled content hot beverage cups is an important milestone for Starbucks in addressing the environmental impact associated with our paper-buying practices,” said Jim Donald, Starbucks’ CEO designate.
“Starbucks’ goal is to convert hot cups in our US 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,” Donald added.
