Starbucks fight back after water waste controversy

• Mar. 15 by Emma Dando (2)

Starbucks portray themselves as an eco-friendly company who care about the environment, but is wasting millions of litres of water a day really helping the planet?

In 2008 it was discovered that Starbucks were wasting roughly 23million litres of water every day. The company rule was to have a tap constantly running in the dipper well where spoons and other utensils are washed.

They claimed they did this in every store around the world to stop germs from forming in the pipes and to stick to Health and Safety Rules.

Green activists and environmental groups were outraged at these claims and called for an end to the extreme water wastage by Starbucks. Health and Safety officers were also appalled and said there was no need to keep a tap constantly running as it doesn’t affect the safety of humans in any way.

Starbucks formed the Shared Planet scheme to combat environmental issues like water use, reusable packaging and fair-trade sources. The amount of water wasted was to be addressed within this scheme.

Now with over 16, 500 stores in 49 countries, Starbucks has changed the old dipper well system to a new push button metered faucet way of washing utensils in the majority of it’s stores.

A member of Starbucks press office told Birmingham Recycled:

‘Our UK stores currently use a “single spoon, single pitcher” method, which involves using a spoon and pitcher once and then rinsing it.  It is then sanitised, every two hours, when it’s put through the dishwasher.

Our specific water conservation measures will help Starbucks in the UK save enough water to fill 900 Olympic swimming pools a year.’

The new stores are being designed with a ‘rigorous approach to energy and water efficency’. Starbucks claim that these new design stores will cut consumption by up to 20 %. They will be fitted with energy efficient light bulbs and hand dryers, low-flow taps, dual-flush toilets, and spray arms will be fitted into the sinks.

Georgia Stokes, Manager of Northfield Ecocentre added:

‘Only 1% of the world’s water is drinkable so we all need to save water wherever possible. It is our most precious resource. It’s great Starbucks have recognised their responsibility to conserve water, hopefully the new measures will soon cover all their stores worldwide.

There are lots of ways we can all save water at home and at work that cost us no money and minimal effort. Turn the tap off when you wash your hands and clean your teeth, and have a shower not a bath. Make sure you fix leaky taps. For all the gardeners, get a water butt to collect rainwater and use this for your plants, this could be an old water tight container and needn’t be bought specially.’

By the end of 2010 they aim to have drived 50% of the energy used in company-operated stores from renewable sources and to have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by making the stores 25% more energy efficient.