Of course, the best is to bring your own cup to the coffee shop, but, in fact, scores of people still use paper cups at coffee shops around the country. Now Starbucks has proved that used paper cups can be recycled into new paper cups.

The cup-to-cup pilot was conceived earlier this year at Starbucks’ second cup summit, which was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The two-day symposium convened government officials, raw material suppliers, cup manufacturers, retail and beverage businesses, recyclers, conservation groups, and academic experts to develop a plan for improving local recycling systems.

While some communities already recycle Starbucks paper cups, most do not have the infrastructure in place to handle collection, hauling, and processing due to a lack of demand for cup material by the recycling industry. To date, Mississippi River is the only pulp mill in the U.S. that has successfully recycled used cups into fiber suitable for producing new cups.

“What’s really exciting about the cup-to-cup concept is that it has the potential to benefit not only Starbucks, but the entire foodservice industry,” said Greg Wanta, vice president of International Paper Foodservice, the largest manufacturer of Starbucks paper cups. “If we can continue to prove the value of used cup material generated by Starbucks and other retailers, we can help increase recycling rates in communities across the country.”

“We’re looking forward to working with Starbucks, International Paper, and other stakeholders to take the pilot project to the next level,” said Rob Garland, chief executive officer at Mississippi River. “Based on what we’ve seen so far, we think this is a very promising path.”

Starbucks currently has another recycling pilot project underway in New York. The company is collecting paper cups at 86 of its Manhattan stores to determine whether they can be recycled into bath tissue and paper towels. In early 2011, Starbucks plans to launch a new recycling pilot in Chicago, aiming to transform the company’s discarded paper cups into napkins for use in its stores. Over the past year, Starbucks has introduced front-of-store cup collection in Toronto and Seattle, where its cups can be recycled, and in San Francisco, where its cups can be composted.

To learn more about cup-to-cup recycling, visit ipfoodservice.com. For information about Starbucks recent recycling initiatives, visit starbucks.com/responsibility2009.

NWEI’s hallmark program is a series of discussion courses available for small groups anywhere in North America.  The courses provide an enjoyable, supportive setting in which to examine personal values and habits, engage in stimulating conversation, create meaningful community, and consider ways to take action towards creating a more sustainable future.

NWEI discussion course study guides are manuals for a self-facilitated course experience, taken informally by small groups in a home, at your workplace, your center of faith or any place where people naturally gather. Course guides range from $20 to $35.

An estimated 5,000 are expected to participated in A World of Health curriculum over the coming year. The curriculum is part of an on-going effort by NWEI to educate and inspire people to make small lifestyle changes that have a long-term, positive benefit for themselves and the planet. Since its launch in 1993, more than 125,000 people in all 50 states have participated in NWEI discussion courses.

The discussion-based curriculum for personal health is called A World of Health: Connecting People, Place and Planet and consists of six sessions, including videos, readings, assignments and group discussion questions.

While the course is not prescriptive in nature these are a few of the actions that come up for consideration:

• Examine your food products for packaging that contains bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical with harmful health consequences.
• Map the accessibility of your neighborhood via walking and biking to encourage to a healthier lifestyle while also reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
• Consider the broader health impacts brought about by a consumer-based culture.
• Make your own household cleaners. They cost much less, are just as effective and are a safer alternative to relying on harsh, toxic commercial products. Effective cleaning products can be made with borax, washing soda, distilled white vinegar, baking soda, salt, club soda, cooking oil and lemons. On their own or combined together, you can make scouring powder, furniture polish, an all-purpose cleaner and more!
• Use a reusable bag to haul groceries—plastic bags aren’t biodegradable and, when discarded, become problematic for people and wildlife alike. And shop smart—the stuff in the bag has a larger impact than the bag itself.