Thanks Theo!

Paper is recyclable. Plastic is recyclable. Paper COATED in plastic is not, which is where the problem comes from. There are about three facilities in the country capable of recycling disposable coffee cups as they are currently made. True, one could update all recycling centers with expensive equipment capable of separating the materials... or fix the cups.

Thanks for the reply, Joshua. I am glad to hear you were "saving these cups." Just to be clear though, so as not to mislead the public, coffee cups can be recycled in only two places in the country. The "recycling bins" in Seattle, for example, get dumped in the garbage. This is because the plastic liner can't be separated from the paper cup without incredibly advanced equipment. And, to reply to the other commenter, my beef is definitely with Starbucks on this. Your art is great, I just think you could do more to bring about some awareness with it. Most people are not as conscientious as you, hence the 8 billion disposed cups every year (total, 4 billion from Starbucks).

Sorry, 8 billion is a way-low estimate. Last number I saw says 58 billion in the US alone. :-(