Starbucks' impact on the environment- Sirisha Tata

Everyone knows about Starbucks, a chain that had now spread worldwide. I still remember the rave when one finally opened in the local mall in Hyderabad, India. No matter where one goes, Starbucks seems to be a constant among places that have almost nothing else in common.
However, what we fail to see the major environmental impact that the “to-go” coffee culture has on the environment.

Starbuck uses upto 8000 paper cups in s single minute, which adds up to 480,000 in a single minute, and 691,200,000 in a day and over 4 billion in a year. These cups require 1.6 million trees to be cut down for the paper that they require and cannot even be recycled due to the plastic lining that prevents the drink from seeping through the plastic. This adds up to a great amount of both paper and plastic that are wasted and disposed ineffectively with no chance of being reused or recycled.

Furthermore, people have pointed out this impact that Starbucks has on the environment
due to which Starbucks dedicated to attempt to make a change by serving at least 25% of its
drinks in reusable cups, a plan that had not advanced at all in 4 years since it had been decided
to be implemented.


This further contributes to an issue that we recognize as one of importance: plastic in the oceans.



Each minute, the equivalent of a garbage truck full of plastic ends up in the ocean — more than eight million tons every year. Every single day, half a billion plastic straws are used most of which end up in the ocean contributing to the harm that befalls the marine ecosystems.

At this rate of improper plastic disposal, the amount of plastic in the ocean will surpass the number of fish by 2050. Whales, seabirds, turtles, and fish are accidentally consuming these plastics, which are making their way into our food systems with unknown effects on people and marine life. It’s time something is done before all these ecosystems are destroyed by human actions and recklessness.

 Questions:

What do you think is a viable alternate solution to the problem with the starbucks cups?
What could be some ways by which plastic garbage could be prevented from reaching the oceans?
How can the marine life be protected?
Sources:






Comments

Anonymous said…
I think that this is a really ignored problem, no one thinks about how their single Starbucks’ cup could be part of thousand that hour. I think the best way we can combat this is by investing in reusable cups. Moreover, plastic straws are a huge issue that adversely harm the environment. While this issue is serious, there are some great alternatives.
April 26, 2019 at 7:44 PM
Anonymous said…
One way in which Starbucks could significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste that is produced by the company as a result of the utilization of plastic cups is the implementation of a rewards program that could favor those who bring their own reusable cups, or even offering discounts when selling their own reusable cups, so that consumers are encouraged to utilize reusable cups rather than relying upon disposable plastic cups without actually being aware of the consequences that the plastic has on marine life. Furthermore, a relatively easy method to increase awareness regarding the effect that utilizing plastic cups on marine life could be to hang a poster or some sort of a sign in a prominent location that lists the effect of plastic on the environment and encourages the consumers to purchase or bring their own refillable cups. In addition, Starbucks could also host some sort of volunteer trash pick up days so that consumers would be encouraged to help safely dispose of plastic waste near coastlines and near the edges of bodies of water. By educating Starbucks consumers and increasing awareness regarding the detrimental effects that plastic has on the environment, the consumer themselves can start to make a difference in reducing their own plastic waste.
April 29, 2019 at 5:46 AM
Anonymous said…
While Starbucks is taking steps in the right direction with the lids without straws, I agree with the benefits of creating a rewards program that favors customers who bring reusable cups and containers . We've heard so much about how much plastic straws are affecting the environment but when we actually take a step back and look at just how many companies are actually doing something about it, that number is a lot lower than one would hope . I believe that companies should invest in more reusable and environmentally friendly products in order to still see their profits rise, but also see a major decrease in plastic waste hurting our ecosystem .
April 29, 2019 at 6:38 AM
Anonymous said…
I believe the best way to solve the plastic cups problem is to create cups that can be reusable such as a glass cup. The company would stop selling plastic cups and instead sell these, and when people purchase them, they will only be allowed to insert coffee into that cup. If the customer does not own a cup, he or she will not be allowed to purchase coffee or any other drink. This would also solve the plastic problems because now everyone would have glass containers.
April 29, 2019 at 1:15 PM
Unknown said…
Nice choice of fonts! Starbucks is currently causing a huge problem for the environment but the issue is not unique to carbon. Several companies from McDonald's to Chipotle engage in these destructive behaviors. Therefore, it is important to keep all of these various companies in check and to not focus on specific franchises.
April 29, 2019 at 3:11 PM
Anonymous said…
I think Starbucks drinks are expensive enough to make cups that are more environmentally friendly and still make profit. Of course, reusable cups is a good alternative to these cups as a whole but without an incentive to buy them, not many will want to buy these cups. Maybe if Starbucks provides some incentive for people who use reusable cups (such as lower costs, a rewards program, or even providing more fluid ounces of coffee for the same price) will this issue move forward.
-Adam Ghanem
April 29, 2019 at 8:29 PM
Anonymous said…
I think Starbucks drinks are expensive enough to make cups that are more environmentally friendly and still make profit. Of course, reusable cups is a good alternative to these cups as a whole but without an incentive to buy them, not many will want to buy these cups. Maybe if Starbucks provides some incentive for people who use reusable cups (such as lower costs, a rewards program, or even providing more fluid ounces of coffee for the same price) will this issue move forward.
-Adam Ghanem
April 29, 2019 at 8:44 PM
Anonymous said…
The issues that we see taking place with these disposable cups and such are really not getting the attention that they need to permanently fix this problem. Though Starbucks is taking some efforts to lower the amount of waste they produce it is not even a dent in the problem we are facing. I feel that with their great profit margins they should be able to implement more environmental options for people.
April 29, 2019 at 10:24 PM
Anonymous said…
I completely agree. This is clearly a growing issue as consumer culture becomes more common. In response to Starbucks' extreme consumption, the company should encourage their customers to bring their own reusable cups and bottles by reducing prices. Additionally, Starbucks could switch to reusable cups for customers who are studying in the shop. In the long run, this would ultimately be better and more viable for both the company and the environment.
April 30, 2019 at 6:29 AM
Anonymous said…
Starbucks has taken some initiative to stop unnecessary plastic waste du h as the straws being eliminated, but they could do much more. Something I think would be cool would be an incentive to stop using their disposable plastic cups. For instance, my dad buys coffee, and then turns around and dumps it into his Arctic Cup and immediately throws away the cup. That’s so unnecessary, and wasteful it’s unbelievable. If they made it easy and maybe even cheaper to bring reusable cups that could possibly effect the amount of waste positively.
April 30, 2019 at 1:34 PM
Anonymous said…
Plastic in the ocean is a very serious problem that everyone should be aware of, especially as Americans consume and throw away so much. As such a popular coffee chain, Starbucks has a certain responsibility to mother earth and keeping the environment clean for future generations. There are several ways to help alleviate this dire problem. Plastic touches all of our lives, from the food packaging we buy to the computers we work with and the cars we drive. But many of the plastics we touch in our daily lives are used only once and thrown away. So much of this plastic is ending up in the ocean that in just a few years, we might end up with a pound of plastic for every three pounds of fish in the sea. But the future of plastics in our ocean will be determined by the way we handle plastics on land. We need to cut down the amount of plastic entering the ocean. By supporting the development of fundamental waste collection and management in countries with rapidly growing economies and increasing use of disposable plastic, we can prevent the growing tide of plastic from entering the ocean now.
April 30, 2019 at 10:06 PM
Anonymous said…
I agree, as more and more people use the plastic Starbucks cups a lot more pollution is generated. Starbucks should switch to biodegradable cup material or something. This would help lessen their environmental impact.
May 1, 2019 at 5:38 PM
Anonymous said…
With a company as big and popular as Starbucks, there should definitely be something done about their environmental impact. I agree with Shreya that a rewards program would be beneficial. Maybe they could make a recycling bin and recycle their cups themselves or figure out a different way to use them. There are many ways they could reduce this issue.
May 2, 2019 at 1:22 PM
Anonymous said…
I think Starbucks should reintroduce efforts to curb paper and plastic use and advertise it as more of an important step. Most people probably care about their contribution, but they don’t realize the sheer amount of solid waste that is produced by the to-go coffee lifestyle. Revamping the reducing effort is extremely important. For example, they could not leave straws out for anyone to take and only give them out upon request. They could also make resusable cups cheaper or give more incentives (such as free drinks) for people to be motivated to reduce their usage. Of course, people could also stick to coffee at home for a more sustainable outcome, but it would be difficult to convince millions of Americans to switch.
May 2, 2019 at 1:25 PM
Anonymous said…
There is now a reusable cup + discount thing going on at Starbucks where you can buy your reusable cup for $3 and get 15% off of every drink you buy using the cup. These are some ways to curb paper and plastic use. My sister uses the cups as plant holders, and she plants little grasses in the cups. I wish at some point, people would bring their own cups to Starbucks.
May 2, 2019 at 3:30 PM
Anonymous said…
Starbucks, believe it or not, has a huge environmental impact. I think the company should reinforce the idea of people buying the Starbucks’ reusable cups/tumblers. I do not think people are aware about how much a Starbucks cup actually affects the earth. If we give people more rewards based on using a more evironmental friendly option, I think that the responses will be positive. People are influenced by making a difference and being acknowledged for it; therefore, more people will realize that if they could help the environment with one switch, they would. I think that the main problem is that society covers up the horrible effects of a social norm. We need to repress this and reveal how much damage we are actually doing.
May 3, 2019 at 11:56 AM
Anonymous said…
I think Starbucks is trying to limit the use of disposable cups, but there is only so much they can do as many of the decisions are left up to the consumers. If people realized the true impact of their lone Starbucks cup, maybe they would be more likely to invest in a reusable cup or even making their own coffee.
May 3, 2019 at 12:02 PM
Anonymous said…
This has been an issue that has been ignored for a long time, and it is not just an issue that pertains to Starbucks. Restaurant chains all across the nation are discarding of far too many disposable cups and it is creating a serious issue that must be addressed. Although there not many clear cut solutions to this problem, efforts must be made to protect the environment and limit the amount of disposed material. Even if it means cutting down on business, food chains including Starbucks need to take responsibility and protect the environment in any way they possibly can.
May 3, 2019 at 12:11 PM
Anonymous said…
The issue of disposable cups is a problem many companies and restaurants face at the moment. Even though Starbucks is doing this best to reduce the use of disposable cups, we still need to take action to completely switch to reusable cups. There is no easy solution to this, but our focus is to reduce material that is deposed in the environment.
May 3, 2019 at 12:18 PM
Anonymous said…
The issue of disposable cups has been a problem for several restaurant and food companies, and isn’t just restricted to Starbucks. I think Starbucks should try and enforce the purchase of renewable cups by either decreasing such cups’ prices, or by taxing consumers that choose to buy disposable cups. Starbucks has a massive environmental impact, and cutting down on a little business to protect the earth is definitely worth it in the long run.
May 3, 2019 at 12:23 PM
Anonymous said…
I definitely agree that this is an “ignored” problem that not many think about or even realize. Personally, I dont go to Starbucks because I don’t drink coffee, but I do make an effort to use a reusable water bottle everyday. I think that its great that Starbucks implemented the use of 25% recyclable material. However, its disappointing to learn that nothing has advanced passed this.
May 3, 2019 at 12:36 PM
Anonymous said…
While all of the detrimental environmental effects regarding Starbucks are true, I think that stores have been taking a step in the right direction towards promoting more environmentally friendly methods. By eliminating the use of plastic straws, encouraging the use of reusable cups, and promoting recycling, customers have begun to participate in more sustainable ways of helping the environment while getting to enjoy their coffee.
May 3, 2019 at 12:52 PM
Anonymous said…
This was very interesting as I am actually a Starbucks barista. I can tell you from personal experience that we use tons and tons of cups everyday. No, I don't like it either. It's obviously very poor for the environment. I believe a possible solution is reusable cups. We are always tole we need to push customers to use our reusable cups and to just get coffee in those. At one point, our store was just handing out reusable cups but we had to stop because people kept throwing them away. I believe the cups need to be fixed and should be recyclable.
May 3, 2019 at 8:39 PM
Jibran Khalil said…
Disposable cups are a problem prevalent throughout our society. They're easy to use; after all, you just drink and throw. However, the amount of cups used is extremely detrimental to the environment. Tons of plastic and Styrofoam is wasted and unnecessarily placed into landfills. Currently, however, stores are heading in the right direction by adapting more environmentally friendly measures. By using reusable cups and degradable products, companies can easily reduce the impact of these plastic cups and straws. Starbucks and other companies need to change their packaging to reduce their impact on the environment.
May 3, 2019 at 9:06 PM
Unknown said…
I realized that restaurant chains use a massive amount of paper and plastic waste, but I did not realize it was this much until this article. If only Starbucks is able to cause that much damage, I can only imagine the amount of damage that is possible with the countless other restaurant chains and millions across the world. I believe we must change the culture of our society to switch to a more reusable cup culture where we encourage using reusable cups instead of disposable ones. Through this movement, we will be able to make sure that waste is minimized and our planet is safer.
- Austin
May 3, 2019 at 9:39 PM
Mahir Vohra said…
As someone who stops for coffee on a regular basis, one approach I want to try is either buying a reusable Starbucks cup, or just asking them to fill up my own cup. Besides the environmental impact of reducing waste production, there are also financial incentives in doing so: Starbucks offers a discount on every drink purchased when you ask them to put it in your reusable cup.
May 4, 2019 at 1:00 PM
Michelle Sun said…
Many of us don't recognize or anticipate the negative impact that every day activities like drinking coffee has upon the environment. Reading through this blog post in particular really shows that drinking Starbucks has a wider consequence than the hole burning in your wallet. Some ways coffee drinkers can reduce their pollution footprint is by using reusable cups, straws, or simply making their own coffee at home.
May 4, 2019 at 2:44 PM
Anonymous said…
When we go to Starbucks, we don’t realize the impact we’re making on the environment every time we order I coffee. I myself am guilty of this as I go to Starbucks or some coffee shop at least 2 to 3 times a week. In order to be a part of the solution to this problem, I will try to start using reuseable cups and reduce my impact on waste production.
May 6, 2019 at 8:11 AM
Anonymous said…
I don’t drink coffee but I can say that it isn’t just coffee companies like Starbucks that use these cups. I beleive that all people and all companies should invest in using reusable cups or bio-degradable cups. Now I’m not saying that using reusable cups is the best solution but I think if companies were to offer discounts for those using reusable cups the amount of these disposable cups would greatly reduce.
May 6, 2019 at 9:11 AM
Anonymous said…
Many fast food restaurants face the same issue. All these companies should start using reusable cups and offer incentives to people who buy the product. If starbucks started to use reusable cups many other companies would follow in their footsteps. If reusable cups were used it would reduce the amount of plastic cups tremendously.
May 6, 2019 at 3:06 PM
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