ecotainerTM

In a recent post by International Paper and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, the authors ask us to consider this:

"Every year, Americans drink more than 100 billion cups of coffee. Of those, 14.4 billion are served in disposable paper cups— enough to wrap the earth 55 times if placed end-to-end! Those paper cups contain a plastic lining made from a petrochemical that would produce enough energy to heat 8,300 homes. That’s a town the size of Newtown, Connecticut."

The companies report that they've worked together to develop a cup that uses renewable resources. The ecotainer, designed for hot beverages, uses a liner manufactured from corn rather than petro chemicals. I'd agree with them -- the move is a start. But.

The rest of the cup is still paper. Does it come from sustainably-managed trees? Does the fact of combining the new liner with the paper impede recycling?