I have never been a fan of Starbucks — I generally do not enjoy the taste of their coffee, it is incredibly too expensive, and most of their “fun” drinks and food are too calorie-laden for my taste. I also don’t like the idea that they are a huge conglomerate that kicks the unique mom and pop coffee houses out of neighborhoods that rely on small businesses to stimulate the local economy.
But the more I hear about Starbucks’ environmental practices, the less hostile I find myself toward them. Several impressive initiatives they have taken in the past few years include:
- “Grounds for Your Garden” – an initiative to reuse coffee grounds that involved Starbucks distributing grounds to community gardens, nurseries, and parks to assist in composting efforts
- Reducing in the size of paper napkins and the thickness of trash bags. This eliminated more than 1.8 million pounds of waste in 2004. Let’s just hope that workers aren’t using two bags to make up for a weaker, thinner bag!
- Making their cardboard cups with 10% post-consumer fiber content. This is minuscule in the grand scheme of things, but it is a start
- Assuring that 20% of the energy used to power their North America Company-operated stores comes from renewable energy sources
- They are North America’s largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certified coffee
Now I have to say that, considering the reach of Starbucks and the depth of their pockets, I expect more from them; they should really be a leader in greening large corporations. But their efforts to date seem respectable and I commend their social responsibility.
Has anyone else experienced a slight change of heart about Starbucks like me?
I have to say that I am a Starbucks addict despite my problems with their economic impact on small businesses, but some of their environmental and international practices do make me feel a little less guilty!
Also, don’t for the the water they sell. I can’t remember what it’s called at the moment, but the company that makes it donates a decent portion of their proceeds to international efforts to supply clean water to villages. While it may seem like a small thing to us, access to clean, drinkable water is a massive international issue and I am glad someplace like Starbucks has brought it a little more attention!
(And, as usual, I love your blog!)
My problem with Starbucks is that, at least here in Toronto, Canada, there’s never a recycling bin inside the Starbucks! I’m always forced to take my empty cup home to recycle it….
Anna: I think the water brand name is called Ethos. And I think the Ethos program has doubled their funding so they can give out more water.