Not sure , at least you can negate that trash by using a reusable cup . The paper cup is unsuitable for recycling in most locations since it is lined with plastic polyethylene to keep them from leaking . Starbucks beverages alone account for approx . 4 billion c u p s r e p o r t e n v i r o n m e n t alstewardshipcuprecycling globally each year . Annually Americans throw away 25 BILLION cups per year , which means 9 . 4 million trees were harvested just for cups 363 million pounds of waste were generated and , 3 , 125 , 000 tons of CO 2 emissions were generated . I ' m really just advocating about becoming more aware and about how products are designed , where they come from , and what happens to them when we are done using them . papercup coffeecup Edit Formatting