Here’s a really simple way you can make a difference: next time you go shopping, take reusable bags with you instead of using those free plastic bags that the supermarkets hand out (normally in pairs). If you forget the bags, you can still avoid the plastic in many places by asking for paper bags (just remember to reuse or recycle them - I use them for my kitchen food scraps and then throw the whole thing into the composting bin).

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On Starbucks’ own website, in their ideas area, RoseByte has posted a suggestion that the worldwide coffee giant take some steps to help recycle the cups that they sell their cold drinks in every day. The clear plastic cups the cold drinks come in can be recycled, but there is nothing to encourage customers to do that, and there are no recycling bins in the Starbucks stores.

One of the big differences I noticed in the UK was that the Starbucks stores (and other coffee chains like Caffe Nero) used china cups and plates when you say that you’re staying in the store to enjoy your coffee and cake. Why isn’t this more common in the US too? Vote for this idea too.

But to be fair, it is not just Starbucks that could do better in this regard. I suspect that the amount of waste generated by McDonald’s customers is just as high, if not higher. McDonald’s has a recycling page on its website, but again all the projects are outside the US.

[Thanks to PlanetGreen for the pointer.]