Breaking News English Lesson: Recycling Coffee Cups

The coffee shop chain Starbucks will give customers a discount if they bring their own cups. It wants to cut down on the number of paper cups that are put in the trash. It is part of a two-month trial in cafes in England. Starbucks wants to reduce waste and recycle more. The vice president of Starbucks UK said: "Starbucks is committed to increasing recycling rates and reusable cups are a key part of our overall waste reduction strategy." Bosses will decide later if they will continue the discounts. Customers who bring their own cups will not get a discount on the cafe's cheaper filter coffee.

The issue of disposable paper cups has been in the news a lot. Around seven million cups are thrown away every day. Journalists said that some cafes lie about how many paper cups they recycle. The journalists say the cafes do not recycle as many cups as they say they do. Customers wrongly believe that a coffee shop is environmentally friendly. Fewer than one in 400 paper cups at coffee shop chains are recycled. A coffee drinker said she would bring her own cup. She said: "I am disappointed that cafes recycle so little. I thought they were more responsible."