Since we have focused solely on the recycling practices of Tim Hortons, we thought we would see how they stack up in comparison to two of their top local competitors here in Victoria—Serious Coffee, and, of course, Starbucks.

As I’m sure all of you know by now, Team Recycle The Rim doesn’t think that Tim Hortons’ recycling practices are up to par, especially here in Western Canada. According to Tim Hortons’ 2011 Sustainability Report, out of their 452 locations from Manitoba west, only nine offer hot beverage cup and paper packaging recycling or composting. That is, simply, not good enough. With hundreds, if not thousands, of coffees in paper to-go cups sold each day at each location, Tim Hortons is creating a lot of waste. They do offer a discount for customers who bring their own mug, but do you know how much it is? Ten cents per coffee. That’s hardly motivating.

Starbucks: Starbucks has quietly become a recycling leader within the coffee shop community. At the majority of store locations (every one that I’ve been to lately), a large, blue paper cup recycling box stands in clear view right beside the cream and sugar stand. Having this feature in-house makes a huge difference on the environment, and I am thrilled to see this in place. On their website, Starbucks acknowledges that they produce a lot of cups per year—roughly four billion, give or take. They make it clear that by 2015, they aim to make 100% of them recyclable. So far, they’re doing well. The more I think about it, the more I realize how little I see Starbucks to-go cups tossed at the side of the road, or carelessly “forgotten” at a park bench. Now I know why. Starbucks has stepped up to the plate, and their customers are responding.

Serious Coffee: Serious Coffee has done well in being an environmentally responsible company. All of their paper to-go cups are wax-lining free and are fully recyclable. At each location, recycling options for customers are clearly displayed. Serious also does its best to encourage customers to bring their own mugs, “seriously” cutting down on the number of paper to-go cups used. They do this by offering customers a discount at the counter to those who ask for their beverage to be served in their own reusable container. What a great idea, right? I think every coffee shop should do this.

Out of these three coffee shops, I think it’s easy to see that, as it stands, Tim Hortons is step behind their competitors in their recycling practices. While they are doing well in Eastern Canada, a better effort needs to be made to improve their recycling practices here in Western Canada.

Bravo Starbucks and Serious. Tim Hortons—you need to pick it up.

Max von Kleist, Team Recycle The Rim