The Low Down On Green Living
June 16th, 2008
Recycling? Starbucks? Hello?
Stumble it!
I don’t go into Starbucks very much any more because I pretty much break out in eco-hives seeing all of that plastic and paper waste being shuttled across the counter and out into the unsuspecting, inundated world. But occasionally I have to break down and get an ice coffee with a shot of hazelnut.
And so I did last week, and tho’ it was refreshing and delicious, I had the same nagging thought I have every time I go there–”Why oh why are there no recycling bins at Starbucks???”
Wistfully I looked at the display of Ethos Water bottles and realized if I bought and drank one, I would be in the position to put my bottle into the trash. Now where is the Ethos in that?
Then I saw the business card of the store’s District Manager! Right there on the barista bar, there was a stack of her cards. Brilliant! I will contact this woman and she will illuminate the Starbucks recycling mystery for me. And she did respond to my email and she was great. She said she was personally concerned about this issue and that when she managed a store herself, she worked on getting recycling in place. Then she informed me that “The long and the short of it is that every store is a little different, depending on the landlord and the recycling capacity.” And here is the official word from Starbucks:
“Starbucks is committed to protecting and improving the environment, and is continually pursuing opportunities to reduce, reuse, and recycle our waste products where commercial facilities exist. Most of our retail store recycling is conducted “behind the scenes” in the back room (boxes, milk jugs, etc.). If you are not certain that recycling is taking place in a store, please ask a store manager; he/she can explain what we are doing, what is recyclable in the local area, and what the landlord will allow for waste disposal. One of our challenges is that some parts of the country can process more recyclable materials than others. We are working with a recycling subcontractor to locate local recycling facilities to process materials generated from each store.”
Well that’s sort of okay…but only sort of. I don’t think out-sourcing the process to the local stores is really going to get the job done. Starbucks may need a National Recycling Czar. (Or do they have one already?) And here’s another notion– why not give a discount to people who bring in their own re-usable cups and mugs? That would really help educate folks about the importance of moving beyond disposables.
To be fair, I also decided to kick the tires at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. I went to two stores in Los Angeles and again, no blue bins. Now I was really sad. Where in this town can a girl recycle her plastic cup? Her water bottle? Do we have to take everything home?
Here’s where you come in: we can let our coffee chain friends know where we stand on recycling. Starbucks can be reached by clicking here or you can call 1-800-235-2883. (I did and I spoke with a charming guy who shared my concern.) For Coffee Bean you can click here to register your thoughts, or you can call them at 1-800-TEA-LEAF (1-800-832-5323).
Thanks and I’ll see you on line at the counter! Don’t take the last maple scone.
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Comments
Ali Syme
June 16th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Tully’s at least serve their takeaway coffee in compostable cups - so they should be improving themselves (Starbucks) for the sake of beating the competition!
Mcark
June 16th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Remember when the company oozed a new way of thinking…..a shift in the way we act as Americans…….counter culture. It’s apart of American culture and corporate America but it still has that intellectual charm, so you would think recycling wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Wal-mart is doing a better job than some of the pro union, intellectual, labour friendly stores so hailed by my fellow liberals.
I have had similar concerns about Chinese and Mexican take out. I need to talk to a health official but some people have told me that they would have to bring out the dish and put in my bowl…….because of health issues. You mention eco hives, imagine me trying out my trying to converse in Spanish about not wanting my food in a Styrofoam food containers ( rice is one container, beans in one container, etc so I have two or three containers) in side a double wrapped plastic bag.
Michelle Y
June 23rd, 2008 at 2:06 pm
I remember stopping into a Starbucks once and was astounded how wasteful the coffee shop was. They did not offer ceramic for those enjoying their beverages at the store. No one brought in their own cups since no discount was given. The worst was a sign at the counter explaining to customers that due to the company’s commitment to the environment, drinks would no longer be double cupped (unless you get a large) and a sleeve would be provided upon request to decrease waste. Now, as I waited in line, every beverage that was ordered, regardless of size, was double cupped WITH a sleeve AND a plastic lid! So when I approached the cashier, I ordered my drink and emphasized “one cup, no lid”. She looked at me and gave a snide, “why?” So I asked about the sign and she just shrugged her shoulders. That left a very bad taste in my mouth and it wasn’t from the bad coffee. Now, I can commend a company for trying to do the right thing, but it’s hypocrisy for those that say one thing and do the opposite. My local coffee shop only charges you for a refill when you bring in your own cup (do the math - that’s $0.50 vs $1.40), uses ceramic, asks that you recycle your sleeves (and they don’t automatically give you a sleeve or a lid), as recycle bins galore, and are appreciative if their customers do the socially responsible thing. So WHY is Starbucks thriving while these local coffee shops are disappearing?
Anon
June 25th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
“dirty” recyclable materials CANNOT be recycled, so dirty coffee cups, dirty cardboard boxes, etc cannot be recycled.
My local recycling actively refuses pizza boxes because they are dirty and would contaminate their cardboard recycling.
franny
July 5th, 2008 at 11:57 am
I too am crazy over Starbucks and other restaurants total lack of regard for what they do like robots with all the waste they produce. Every fastfood joint I know wraps everything and bags it and throws in 30 napkins!!! I throw all the napkins in my glove box and use them, but how many people use one or 2 and throw the rest away. We are a society of highly uninformed people as demonstrated by all these employees just doing what everybody else is doing that they work with. But places like Starbucks who have a mission to take care of the environment are unexcusable - you train your workers and evaluate them on your mission. I no longer go to Starbucks because their employees really don’t care about the environment as a whole and their coffee sucks now - it was so good 5 years ago.
Eric
August 6th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Anon, items that are recycled are washed at the recycling facility anyways…
Anyone, correct me if I’m wrong.
RebaMac
August 9th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Okay, let’s just say that I happen to wear a green apron for 20+ hours a week.
This being said, I was appalled that my employer did not recycle…anything. As in, NOTHING! I immediately asked my store manager on the first day of training and she replied that it’s more of a local issue and that our region (southeastern US) was supposed to be in the “test market for some sort of recycling program soon”….so that’s not vague or anything.
As of right now, I have designated a trash can for recycling every shift I work. I simply throw all the plastic lids, milk cartons, syrup bottles, etc into the trash can and drive it 2 miles down the road to the local recycling center.
And to answer a few questions:
–Starbucks does offer ceramic mugs for a 10 cent discount and also gives 10 cents off to a customer using their own mug. (doesn’t really seem like that much of an incentive to me).
Nancy
August 26th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Eric - it depends on where you live. Some cities will take “dirty” recycling. Others, like Los Angeles, won’t. In my home recycling, they won’t take anything that has residue on it. As for Michelle & Franny’s comments about the employees, I don’t think it’s fair to generalize that way. Yes, you saw someone who was rude and unhelpful. I’ve seen that at my favorite local place too, you know, the one that is only open on Sundays if they feel like it. Great coffee, all for supporting local, but not a guarantee of good service.
Joe Thayer
September 20th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I am circulating a petition to get Starbucks to offer recycle recepticles in 100% of their stores.
Please go to http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/RecycleStarbucks/ and sign. You can opt to have your name listed as anonymous (You name will not appear on the web, but it will appear on the printed petition.
Thanks for any help. Please spread the word.
Thanks,
Joe
Conna Craig
July 24th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Please join me in petitioning Starbucks to recycle:
Conna
July 24th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Conna
July 24th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Well, the embed is not working here. Just go to http://act.ly/bp. It only takes a minute. Thanks so much.
Cary Crites
September 1st, 2009 at 7:12 pm
I visited a Starbucks for the first time in quite a while and was blown away to hear that they didn’t recycle. How is this possible? A company that not only claims to be serious about sustainability, but has the balls to add the recycle emblem on the bottom of cups and bags, while not even offering a way for people to do it if they cared to.
I then thought I would contact them through their website and was unable to contact them without signing up… since their phone service only operates between regular business hours.
lame starbucks.
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