While drinking a Grande size cup of Americano in the morning, look out for the statement at the bottom that reads "This cup is made with 10 percent post-customer recycled fiber. Do not microwave." The main reason why Starbucks does not recommend the cups be put in the microwave is because each one is lined with a thin layer of 100 percent oil-based polyethylene plastic, a waterproof material to hold liquids safely.

According to the research from Creative Mechanisms, a Pennsylvania-based engineering company that specializes in plastics, polyethylene is an incredibly useful commodity plastic. Because of the diversity of polyethylene variants, it is incorporated into a wide range of applications. It is always being used to make containers, plastic bags and wraps.

Although the polyethylene could be recycled the same way as paper, the technology is not widespread across the country. This is what makes the polyethylene such a large pollution problem. According to the data from Stand.Earth, only 18 of the largest 100 U.S. cities provide residential pick-up of paper cups for recycling. Most recycled paper mills are not able to separate the polyethylene from the paper cups due to the lack of the recycling capacity of polyethylene.

Other research from the Carton Council shows that only three paper recycling mills in the U.S.can process plastic-coated paper. These mills make up less than 1 percent of the over 450 pulp and paper mills in the U.S.

In the end, most cups end up in a landfill.

A landfill in Livingston County operated by Republic Services. Photo by: Alex Ruppenthal / Chicago Tonight

In addition to the landfill, those paper cups and other kinds of trash such as paper box, are wrapped and exported to China. Jim Ace, the senior campaigner for Stand.Earth, explained that compared with landfills, China could process much of the waste and turned it into new products, and the price of shipping commodities to China is very cheap.

"It's very cheap to ship commodities back to China," said Ace.

China was the biggest garbage-importing country across the world, disposing of over half the world's garbage in the past two decades. However, this changed after the Chinese government announced a ban on imported trash at the end of 2017.

Ace also pointed out that, as the fastest-growing market for Starbucks, China doesn't want to receive more trash from North America. He says this is because China already has to dispose of large amounts of garbage from their local market. According to Ace, China's restrictions on the import of waste will indirectly lead Starbucks and other companies to increase trash in landfills across the U.S.

Excessive landfills could negatively impact lands, water, and even climate. According to Stand.Earth, over 4 billion paper cups are being used by Starbucks and result in over 100 million pounds of waste per year. Only small parts of oxygen can penetrate piles of garbage, so the decomposing cups could emit methane, a gas that contributes to global warming.

The process of producing the paper cups also demands millions of fresh trees from forests and may cause deforestation. Trees that are removed from the forests can no longer absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, leading to damaging effects for humans.

Four billion disposable paper cups, packed with polyethylene that is unbiodegradable for hundreds of years, has gone to landfills across the world.

The company's environmental impact seems to go against their mission with the green mermaid logo.

Volunteers are showing the giant monter, made of thousands of Starbucks paper cups.Photo by Stand.earth

Due to the neglect of environmental problems, Starbucks has faced a variety of protests from many environmental activists and organizations.

To quell the anger of people, they were forced to make a promise to the public in 2008 that they promised their paper cups would be 100 percent recyclable by 2015. Starbucks also promised that they would establish an incentive plan, which would encourage approximately one-quarter of their customers to bring their own coffee cups to the store. To achieve this goal for the environment, Starbucks also had a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, aimed to develop new disposable paper cups.

But Starbucks failed to fulfill their commitments, saying that they were unable to find an available plan to excute after attempting for two years. Therefore, the company adjusted their promise for the number of customers they hoped would bring their own cups to the store from 25 percent to 5 percent.

Stand.Earth, a non-profit environmental organization located in Seattle along with Starbucks, is one of the organizations and activists that is pushing Starbucks to pay more attention to their environmental issues.

"As an organization, working to protect forests and protecting forests has always been a key part of our mission, and our role in the movement to protect the environment and so," Ace said.

As the senior campaigner and the actions manager of Stand.Earth since 2012, Ace has been doing work concerning environmental issues for over 20 years and aims to protect our vulnerable environment.

To make Starbucks stop ignoring its environmental problems, Stand.Earth created a campaign called #BetterCups, which aimed to push Starbucks to fulfill their commitments and change their non-recyclable paper cups. Stand.Earth also hopes that, through the #BetterCups campaign, customers learn the truth about the paper cups and why this issue is so concerning.

Todd Paglia, the executive director of Stand.Earth, said over one million people had signed for their petition online.

Volunteers made phone calls and wrote letters to the Starbucks, and some of them donated money to support activities and protests for the #BetterCups campaign.

Volunteers are dressing in "Paper Cup" costume to protest. Photo by Stand.earth

As the actions manager, Ace launched a bunch of protests against Starbucks.

On Oct. 10, 2017, the former CEO, Kevin Johnson, was sharing the new marketing plan and the development of technology to the public at the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Seattle.

Over 50 volunteers of Stand.Earth stood at front of the Sheraton Hotel.

"We dressed up as Starbucks Baristas and serve people coffee that was in a recyclable cup," Paglia recalled.

A giant Starbucks paper cup monster with a 15-foot wingspan sat behind them, almost blocking the entire sidewalk. The figure was made by hundres of single-sue paper cups that were collected from Starbucks stores across Seattle.

Volunteers came from many diverse communities and included musicians, drivers, elementary school students, and even some current and former employees of Starbucks.

"It's funny. A lot of the employees came out and said that they agreed to with us, so it was very encouraging the people who work there, believed that the company needed to fix the cup," Paglia said. "The employees were believing us not the company."

Shiloh Britt was one of the volunteers who participated in the protest of Starbucks in Seattle. Britt was unique because she was a former barista and worked at a Starbucks for five years. She was told multiple times by her boss not to worry about recycling things.

"We were told to just throw the cups away," Britt said. "We didn't recycle anything even cardboard. My boss would put it in the trash."

If she tried to argue, her boss would always give her the same response.

"If you like your job, don't say anything about this, you know, just let it happen," Britt recalled what her boss talked to her. "This is what our company does is, how Starbucks operates, and I was always told the same thing. That is how our business is conducted, and if you don't like it, you can go find work elsewhere."

Britt also said, that there are no dividers in the trash cans at Starbucks stores. So those paper cups, mixed with plastic straws and other trash, would go straight into landfills. Recycling the cups would mean that Starbucks would have to store them before they were able to get rid of them, but the company does not want to provide the extra storage space. Britt felt confused since that was the opposite of the 'green' image she expected from Starbucks.

"My boss would kind of scoff at me and say 'oh, well, you're just a hippie,' you know, you just stuff like that just very rude and condescending," Britt said. "My colleagues were trying to embarrass me in front of my customers."

When customers would ask Britt about where the cups went and what happened to them, she was told to lie.

"I flat out wouldn't lie to them, so I got in a little bit of trouble for that," Britt said.

However, she would still cautiously remind customers whenever possible that the paper cups were not recyclable and suggest people bring in their own mugs or cups.

"Around that time, that's when I realized it just was not working anymore. I couldn't stand behind a company that had ideals that were so different than my own," Britt said.

As the director of Stand.Earth, Paglia believes that Starbucks themselves should be accountable for telling customers to bring their own mugs to the stores.

There is a list of demands that Stand.Earth launched for Starbucks: create a 100 percent recyclable paper cups without a plastic lining, reduce the consumption of sing-use paper cups, and enhance the ratio of using reusable cups to 25 percent.

Stan Parker, a 75-year-old environmental activist, said coffee habits in coffee habits have changed between now and three decades ago.

"You always went to a restaurant or coffee shop, and you had a ceramic mug. There were no to-go cups, people didn't bring along a to-go cup, and they didn't have paper cups. If you wanted coffee, you sat there and drank it," Parker said.

The problem has only grown since big chain coffee stores such as Starbucks were started.

"They have created coffee culture in the United States, and beyond and that culture is a throwaway culture," Paglia said. "They have enormous cultural influence, and they can change it for the better now."

Britt agrees in this regard that samll coffee chains are all looking at what Starbucks does, since it is one of the most successful and iconic coffee brands.

"If Starbucks does some vast changes, then it is going to have the trickle-down effect among other small coffee companies, and they will start to do the same thing," Britt said.

A volunteer is distributing pamphlets to the people who are passing by. Photo by Stand.earth

The current incentive plan of Starbucks allows customers to receive 10 cent discounts if they enjoy Starbucks drinks by using their mugs or cups. However, Paglia thinks that this is not enough of a discount to encourage customers to bring their own cups when they normally pay $4 or $5 to purchase a cup of coffee.

He also suggested the discount should be increased at least 50 cents or even $1 per cup.

Since Ace is in charge of leading the #BetterCups campaign for Stand.Earth, he thinks changing the current incentive plan from a positive to a negative thing would have more of an impact on customers behavior.

"If people want to use single-use paper cups, they have to be charged rather than get discounts when they bring their own cups," Ace said.

In July 2018, all Starbucks stores in the U.K. were required by the U.K. Parliament to add 5 pence, about 25 cents, to each sing-use cup. This was to encourage people to reduce using disposable cups and cut down the enormous quantity of paper cups that could not be entirely recycled in the U.K.

Government plays a crucial role in environmental protection. As an iconic brand, Starbucks does not want to revise their current market plan due to the fierce market competition and customer loyalty. However, Ace says that the government can push companies to change through establishing policies or drafting documents.

"They're smart. They know that. If they don't take action, it actually is worse for them," Ace said. "I understand why they do it, but I think the example of the UK shows us that as soon as either a city or a state government starts to take action on it. The private sector gets very active, very quickly. It's an interesting dynamic."

Starbucks was contacted multiple times for comment but never responded. However, it seems that Starbucks is on their way to big changes.

In March 2018, Starbucks announced its new environmental plan regarding the disposable paper cups. To create an innovative sustainable cup in the future, Starbucks and McDonalds pledged a fund of $10 million for the Closed Loop Partners, an investment platform that funds sustainable consumer goods, recycling and the development of the circular economy.

Although Starbucks had failed to follow their commitments before, Paglia maintained a relatively optimistic attitude to this new environmental plan in response to the public pressure.

"There are more and more big Industry players working together to solve this problem, so I think that looks pretty promising," Paglia said. "I would say that none of this would be happening if the public and if Stand.Earth didn't pressure Starbucks to live up to its original. And I think that they are now going to do that."