As negotiations to prevent the nation from falling into financial disrepair have once again stalled thanks to partisan rhetoric, Starbucks—the nation's leading coffee chain—has taken to using its coffee cups to prevent the much-feared 'fiscal cliff.'

Starbucks in Hong Kong is looking into a new kind of recycling to lighten their environmental footprint. Scientists from the City University of Hong Kong have partnered with the city's Starbucks to recycle their coffee grounds and stale muffins into useful products.

Starbucks, the renowned specialty coffee chain with more than 11,000 stores just in the U.S., has purchased San Bernardino, CA-based Evolution Fresh Inc, manufacturer of fresh pressed vegetable and fruit juices sold throughout the west coast.

The first Starbucks store opened in 1971, but it took another 16 years for the chain to begin expanding into the 15,000+ locations that now seem to dot every corner of the globe.

But coffeehouses are nothing new. They began to proliferate in the Ottoman Empire in the 1550s (see illustration, right)—and they offered a lot more than organic coffee, according to a report published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Gambling, drugs, meeting with “young, beautiful boys,” puppet shows, storytellers, and musical and dance performances were the norm, say researchers Eminegül Karababa, PhD, a lecturer in marketing at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, and Güliz Ger, PhD, a professor of marketing and associate provost at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey.

Starbucks and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have partnered to reduce waste from single-use cups and other packaging.

Starbucks’ goal is to ensure 100% of its cups are reusable or recyclable by 2015.

Currently, the coffee chain considers its cups to be recyclable only in communities where they’re collected and accepted at commercial and residential recycling systems. One of the major challenges Starbucks faces is a variance in local recycling capabilities.

“We know we can’t solve this problem simply by purchasing cups that are labeled ‘recyclable’ or ‘compostable,’” says Jim Hanna, Starbucks’ director of environmental impact. “We have to ensure our customers actually have access to recycling services at their homes, at work and in our stores. We’ll only be successful if the various businesses and organizations that touch this issue are aligned and equally motivated to take action.”

Starbucks’ “holistic approach has the potential to make a significant impact on the entire food-service industry,” says Peter M. Senge, PhD, a senior lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

In-Store Recycling

In the last year, Starbucks has introduced front-of-store recycling in Toronto, Canada, where its cups are recyclable, and in San Francisco, where its cups are both recyclable and compostable.

The company plans to introduce front-of-store recycling in Seattle this summer and is discussing testing and implementation plans with other communities, including Denver, Chicago and Boston.

“This collaborative, solution-oriented approach is good for business and good for our planet,” says Jim Hunt, Boston’s chief of environment and energy.

Reusable Cups Preferred

Starbucks also encourages its customers to help reduce cup waste by opting for reusable alternatives.

The company has launched a global marketing campaign to increase tumbler use. Last year, more than 26 million beverages were served in reusable cups in U.S., Canadian and UK stores—a behavioral shift that kept nearly 1.2 million pounds of paper from ending up in landfills.

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As temperatures rise, you may consider cooling off with a blended coffee drink, whipped cream and all. 

But as we’ve noted in the past, Frappuccinos and flavored lattes are high in calories, largely due to the addition of whole milk or cream, flavored syrups and added sugar. 

At the extreme, a 24-oz. Starbucks Venti Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino with whipped cream contains 750 calories, or 38% of one’s daily caloric intake (based on a 2,000-calorie dietary allowance). A large Dunkin’ Donuts Vanilla Bean Coolatta (32 oz.) has 860 calories. 

Staking Out the Chains 

Researchers from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene were alarmed by residents’ increased caloric intake from such beverages, which they associated with higher obesity rates. So, they staked out two New York City coffee chains (42 Starbucks, 73 Dunkin’ Donuts) to monitor consumers’ afternoon beverage orders and calculate average calorie content. 

The researchers clocked 1,127 beverage purchases at Starbucks and 1,830 at Dunkin’ Donuts. Their findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Preventing Chronic Disease, were staggering: Roughly two-thirds of Starbucks purchases and one-fourth of Dunkin’ Donuts purchases were for high-calorie blended coffee beverages. 

Now, extrapolate these stats for the rest of the country: Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain, has more than 11,000 retail stores in the United States, while Dunkin’ Donuts boasts 6,400 U.S. stores. And as the researchers note: “Both companies have promoted their products aggressively and serve millions of customers each day.” 

Key Stats 

1. The average calorie content of beverages purchased at Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts is similar to that of a standard 12-oz. can of sugar-sweetened soda.
2. At both chains, ice-blended drinks had the highest calorie content (more than 300 calories, on average)—the equivalent of a scoop of high-fat ice cream.
3. Almost 60% of customers who ordered a blended coffee beverage (all sizes) purchased more than 10% of their calories for the day in a single drink purchase. Without expending enough energy to compensate for their liquid treats, they could potentially gain 20 pounds a year, based on consumption of an extra 200 calories per day.

Promoting Better Alternatives

“Because [our] data were collected from 2 to 4 p.m.,” the researchers write, “many customers probably bought these high-calorie beverages as afternoon ‘pick-me-ups,’ in addition to their lunchtime meals.” 

Consumers who visit coffee chains at other times of day may order lower-calorie beverages, they admit. They also acknowledge that customers may not have consumed their entire beverages. 

Nonetheless, the researchers suspect consumers fail to consider calorie count when placing their orders. As such, “the industry should be encouraged to provide and promote less-caloric alternatives,” they write. 

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