Fail!

Samsclub = Walmart, enough said!

All "green" products are not green in some way. Right now the "green" label is basically 50% false and 50% relative. It's at most a half true earned by just comparing the product to the worst item it could possibly replace. It used to be innovative to come up with a product alteration that saved money and resources, and not it's called green.

What, the "Green Revolution" is not making everyone honest, kind, and successful? Say it ain't so.

This is rather like trying to impress customers with your low-fat food by remarking that the double cheeseburger has a significantly better photoelectron spectrum than the fish sandwich.

This reminds me of the Fiji (bottled water) "green" ads that I've seen at the movie theater. The ad explains that Fiji is working on being more "green." What the ad doesn't mention, though, is that if Fiji were really serious about helping the planet, they'd stop putting water into plastic bottles.

Ya know, even if we were to consider the fuel costs, how many (presumably low-density, high-volume) cups can fit in a truck?

After all, shipping 1 cup uses less fuel than 1000, but the gas per cup ratio sucks.

But what am I saying? The whole thing is ridiculous!!!!

There is not one single company going green for any other reason then marketing and profit. If a company did, the stock holders would bail.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who saw this and wondered if we were experiencing a huge "our landfills weigh too much" problem...

@Bladefist: So? That doesn't make Sam's Club's claim that this Styrofoam cup is environmentally friendly any less preposterous.

@Darklighter: I agree. This is a perfectly legit story. 'Going Green' is a marketing probe. It's an investment.

It's saying, we are going to spend this much more to go green, hoping we make more money, and we win. Sams Club is skipping the investment part, and just lying. I have no problem w/ this story.

My comment was directed to anyone who thinks companies are going green for the environment.

60% less weight means 60% less fuel to ship.

There's no making environmentalists happy- if it was paper they'd whine about cutting down a tree.

@Bladefist: ITA that is the only reason in my eyes why everyone is "going green". People are falling for it and think "all my old stuff isn't green I better go out and buy new stuff" and why do they do with their old stuff? I guess it ends up in landfills.

I've read in a few places it does use less resources to produce the foam cups over paper ones. Even the local "we air bake instead of fry" fast food joints with veggie stuff uses them as well. It's a debate that hasn't ended.

@rdm24: On per cup basis it does not. # cups / fuel cost...

Look, this argument is hard, there are so many factors to consider so you cannot say that a paper cup is more environmentally friendly than a plastic cup. Or vice-versa.

When the cup is plastic less fuel is being used to transport, in addition less fuel is used to take it back to the garbage dumps. Also to make the paper cup you have to cut trees, if you are talking about recycling then that within itself is another manufacturing process... It just goes and goes and goes...

No one can definitively say that one is more environmentally friendly...

Though, to be fair, I feel I should note that paper basically never biodegrades in the anaerobic environment of a landfill either.

Also, paper cups are lined with plastic to make them waterproof.

@evan: By that logic, having two people in my car uses twice as much fuel as just myself. EVERYBODY STOP CARPOOLING!

@joemono: Or stop shipping it halfway across the world.

@rainmkr: yeah, better alternative? glass is infinitely recyclable and wears down to sand. also a couple shattered glass plates can make an awesome mosaic or decoration.

The term already in use is "Greenwashing".

[en.wikipedia.org]

I see no basis for the assumption this is a "green" or "environmentaly-friendly" selling point on the cup. It is simply a fact concerning the shipping weight of the cup. No claim is made that it is better or worse for the earth than a paper cup. Sams club sells things in bulk and customers may be interested in how much things weigh for a variety of reasons.
Could someone clarify this fundamental assumption underlying this article?

This really illustrates the absurdity of "green" anything, whether it be marketing, packaging, etc. We've now gotten to the point that doing a little bit is viewed as worse than doing nothing at all. Take what you can get, guys. And lighten up.

@joemono:
That's asinine; they're doing what little they can, but somehow it's still not good enough for you. Self-righteously suggesting that a company close itself down for the good of the environment is crazy.

If there is any blame to be leveled regarding the environment, it should be toward the consumer for not recycling and for not demanding other types of products from companies.

Demand isn't high enough yet for these companies to afford to change their products. If the demand keeps growing, eventually the supply side will reach it. But we're not there yet.

@jjeefff: I agree. The font is green though, so maybe it's just suggestive of being green.

@jjeefff: You disagree with the assumption about the purpose of the claim.

You indicated customers may be interested in weights. This is published on the outside of the package.

So any other thoughts on why Sam's has this information printed on each cup - in green text?

I think an implied 'green' message is a pretty reasonable assumption.

A paper cup in a landfill won't biodegrade either.

it also leaches chemicals when heated(!!!PANIC EVERYONE PANIC!!!) and is made ENTIRELY FROM OIL.

I thought this was a hilarious cup when I saw it at my sam's club as well. Like the miniscule weight of the cup makes a difference when you're filling it up 800 ounces of pop/soda. Maybe they could say it's better for the environment because it uses less fuel to ship. Of course, it will never biodegrade, but at least it'll be light in our landfills!

Damn, I goto Sams Club all the time to get lunch and I saw this and was telling my friend we should send it to Consumerist!

Actually I can honestly say that my company is doing a lot of things that are costing them money to "go green". Some of it makes sense and some of it doesn't, but I am happy my (solid well established well funded successful) company is doing what it can to cut it's carbon footprint, or whatever you want to call it.

Also to comment on the content of the article:

This is indeed a case of "greenwashing" it's highly unlikely that the ability to ship more cups in a smaller amount of space saves anyone by Same/Wallyworld money. and probably results in little benefit to the environment.

Same=Sam's

spelling R hard

I've noticed that just about every time I've gotten a drink at Sams and always found it to be a bit ironic...Glad to know that it's not just me.

@Bladefist:

That's a myth. Support that claim.

I did a study on this in college.

The polystyrene cups are definitely more environmentally-friendly than paper. Paper is coated with products to make it waterproof. These products also make it so the cup can not be recycled, while foam cups are easily recycled.

The fuel savings on polystyrene vs. paper on a per-cup basis are real as well. Polystyrene uses less fuel and raw materials to produce as well as less fuel to ship.

Here's an article on the subject:

[www.ecojoes.com]

No doubt Wal-mart is lying again.

Don't styrofoam cups weigh about 60% less than paper cups in general?????

@SpitfireM1: polystyrene is in fact very difficult to recycle and that is why it is almost never recycled. it's just not cost effective to do so. it typically ends up in land fills where it will biodegrade in 800 - 1000 years if it doesn't first find its way to water. look for the little polystyrene bubbles any time you go to a coast and it won't take you long to find some.

paper might be bad, but so is polystyrene, and when they're both so much worse than a reusable cup, what's the point in arguing which, paper or polystyrene, is worse?

@Bladefist: Actually my company is (mostly green) because the owner is crazy. We're a furnishing company and she actually wanted to stop selling leather because it was cruel.

But then you have the Al Gores of the world who preach conservation but lives in a house that uses the amount of energy in one month that the average home uses in a year. And that's just his house!

[www.usatoday.com]

Reports say that it's gone up 10% since that article. Sadly, it seems as though Al Gore is burning the midnight oil, very inconvienent.

@jjeefff: I agree with jjeefff. And the green color of the text is the same green color that has been used in the Sam's Club logo for a long time, as you can see on the front of the cup. It doesn't imply greenness or anything else.

Forget about paper vs whatever this light cup is made of. The real problem is shopping at Sam's Club, where prices are cheap and ethics are cheaper.

@Bladefist: I should also mention that I'm very anti-green. This is going to be harsh but here it is:

1. As George Carlin (RIP) once said. "The planet isnt going anywhere...we are" So I'm not saving the planet.

2. Once the oceans rise and the major cities are flooded a couple of things will happen. a. the major disasters told will effect the poorest first and foremost, there are many economic advantages to getting rid of the poor. b. a sudden world population drop will do wonders for the job market; analyst today CFO tomorrow.

3. I always thought the snow on Kilmajaro (sp?) was cheesy

4. I loved that scene in The Day After Tomorrow where the Mexicans closed there boarders to Americans.

5. I dont own an SUV but I love the irony of SUV owners having a distinct advantage when the streets are all flooded.

6. I've never been to Venice and although I'd love to go, its like 25th on the list of places I want to go so it may not happen. Better yet would be taking a Gondala down Canal street in lower manhattan.

I could go on, but I'd risk being called a troll

/too late

@Canino: are you crazy? why else would anyone print a box on a cup advertising light weight? let's here it.

As long as you only get one cup from Sam's Club EVER and keep bringing the cup back with you for refills.

You could even go "super green" and have your dead cremated remains placed in the Sam's cup for eternity.

@Wormfather is Wormfather: to your 2nd assertion, ummmmm, no. taking out the poor would actually cause the entire economy to fail. this is why most fiscal conservatives (think Allan Greenspan), unlike their neo-con brothers, support open door immigration.

I don't know what all the arguing is about here.

The cup is not green. I can see that. Sam's Club are idiots... how can this cup be green?

It's BLUE!!!!!

Go back to kidnergarten and learn your colors!

@Claystil: are you crazy?

Guess so.

why else would anyone print a box on a cup advertising light weight? let's here[sic] it.

I was referring to the green color used, not the reason for the printing. Someone above had inferred that the green color indicates greenness. I simply pointed out that it's one of the company's logo colors and that the green in itself doesn't indicate anything.

@RodAox:

Absolutely correct. There's nothing wrong with the assertion that a lighter cup is more "green", if you assume that energy use is more harmful than dumping. Which it almost certainly is. No news, here.

@Canino: jeff also said "I see no basis for the assumption this is a "green" or "environmentaly-friendly" selling point on the cup."

and you simply said you were agreeing with him "And" that the green color was the same as the logo.

@Claystil: Define failure. Yes, the economic system we live in would change but producers would still produce and consumers would still consume.

Now might be a good time to mention that that post was 99.9% sarcasm, if nothing else, I live in a costal town and my house is on a river.