Waste Diversion Elevated Enviro Ratings:

Starbucks Protein Box

Elevated Enviro reviews Starbucks Protein Box and what of it, after use, can be diverted from the landfill. Plastic waste piling up in our landfills and oceans is a major problem. Part of this problem is the single use plastic that comes with our everyday products. Let’s see how this box stands up.

The plastic box that holds the food is indeed single use. In the industry it is referred to a clamshell. The plastic grade and quality of this box is unknown. Typically the plastic used is a very brittle one and breaks easily. Without knowing the plastic grade we don’t know if this can truly be recycled. The brittleness means that it will likely break apart after use. The small size means it will likely miss the sorting process.

There is a sticker that wraps around the package. This sticker would have to be removed before any possible recycling attempt.

There are two food items wrapped in plastic. Like much of all plastic used we don’t know the grade or quality. Not knowing this information means we don’t know if it can be recycled. If we don’t know then sorters likely don’t know as well. This plastic will, very likely, be landfilled.

The rest of the product is food, Any unwanted food can be placed into a compost bin and be diverted from the landfill.

We give this product a 1.5 out of 5.