Starbucks has announced a goal of producing 100% recyclable paper cups by 2015. Meanwhile, Dunkin' Donuts lags far behind on the green front: The company still uses Styrofoam cups for most of its hot beverages.

Dunkin' Donuts should develop a plan and timeline for ending ts use of environmentally-damaging Styrofoam, which creates waste, pollutes the air, land and water, and damages our health far more than paper alternatives.

On the FAQ's of the web site, Dunkin' Donuts claims that #6 Styrofoam is recyclable. While that may be technically true, you must well know that most cities do not accept the material, especially from food packaging.

The FAQ also says that paper cups are not recyclable. That's not true either. In announcing its goal, Starbucks recently completed a 6-week pilot project with Mississippi River Pulp, the first FDA-approved facility in the country that can recycle pulp for food and drink products. The recycler is selling the reused pulp to International Paper.

Dunkin' Donuts actually joined Starbucks and Tim Hortons in a consortium to develop a recyclable paper cup, so that's a good step. It should follw up by committing to make the switch.

The Starbucks 2015 benchmark and the huge volume of recyclable cups it will produce will hopefully convince more recyclers in more cities and states to begin recycling paper cups.

Starbucks is being forward thinking and pushing the marketplace to do better by the environment. Meanwhile, Dunkin' Donuts is looking backwards. Tell Dunkin' Donuts to bag Styrofoam now.