An article in Sustainable Brands (http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/articles/starbucks-increases-recycling-backs-away-reusable-mugs?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=businessweekly&utm_campaign=april2) describes a decision by Starbucks to shift from reuseable to recylclable cups. Reuseable mugs were related to a 5 % increase in water usage in 2011, after and 17 % drop from 2008 to 2010, so the company decided to lower its target use of reuseable mugs from 25 % to 5 % by 2015 (the current level is 1.9%). Should the reuse vs recycling debate include the impact of water usage in addition to greenhouse gas impact etc ? Should Starbucks planned use of 100% renewable enrgy by 2015 be considered in conjunction with its container choice and design to assess progress towards sustainable service provision ? To get to the target of 100 % recycling, how should the responsibility for provision of recycling bins be shared between Starbucks and municipalities ?