Starbucks, where the cup might matter as much as the coffee

How many people does it take to design a better paper cup? For Starbucks, the answer is likely thousands. Fast Company has the extended saga of the coffee giant’s quest to design and feature a completely recyclable cup.

To that end, Starbucks has held a series of Cup Summits, inviting coffee competitors and searching for answers to the waste created by disposable cups. The last of these was on (the PR-friendly) Earth Day in April, with 2012 the stated goal for 100% recyclable cups.