Starbucks has been an incredibly influential coffee company throughout the country since its founding in 1971. People’s opinions towards sustainable business practices are rapidly changing. The customer today is not the customer of yesterday. In order to keep a business alive, there must be constant change. How Starbucks should do that may be a little hard to handle, but just think of it as constructive criticism.
The fact of the matter is that your approach to sustainability isn’t exactly sustainable, and that fact happens to sadden me.
How about we go through a typical Starbucks order. I start by asking one of Starbucks’ baristas for a dopio espresso because I am severely pretentious when it comes to coffee. We have all felt that tingly feeling called love in our hearts when taking a sip of espresso. All that’s missing is the quaint cobblestone streets of Italy and some short, hairy man with a moustache throwing a pizza in the air.
I hand the barista two dollars of my dad’s hard-earned money and patiently wait in line with the other brainwashed and addicted customers. When my coffee finally comes, your hard-working barista calls my name and hands me my delicious coffee in an oversized paper cup. And that’s where the problem lies.
This is clearly not an unknown problem. And Starbucks has indeed listened to those “tree-hugging freaks” who just want their children not to have to live in a landfill. But Starbucks hasn’t listened enough. So, take those headphones out of your ears and listen to these suggestions. Just get rid of the cups. It’s probably as easy as it sounds.
On your sustainability report, it says that changing the recycling habits of your customers is one of the more important steps. Agreed. Putting out front-store recycling bins was definitely a good start, but unfortunately, (almost) no one cares. A much better, and easier, alternative would be having the option for ceramic cups. It’s almost common sense that this easy change would not only keep billions of paper cups from ending up in landfills, but would also keep your customers in the store for a longer amount of time.
Then, whether you like it or not, the customer will reply “for here” and pay. Now, this next part can be tough: you hand the drink in a ceramic cup. It’s basically like a paper cup, but made of clay or some other type of material that’s not originally from a tree. Have you ever seen Native American pottery? It’s kind of like that. You could even start a non-profit that pays underprivileged people to make them by hand.
When the customer has finished your delicious coffee, he or she can hand it back to the barista to be washed for the next satisfied customer. Maybe you need to hire an extra person to be a dishwasher. Or maybe you could even get a large, energy efficient dishwasher. Or maybe you could think of another solution that would save you money in the long run. There are many different solutions for this problem, but if smaller coffee shops can do it, why can’t you?
Before I depart, I’m going to leave you with an analogy. The Titanic has sunk, and we’re both desperately trying to climb on to that floating door. It’s very clear that both of us could fit, but I’m a dramatic man and only one of us will survive. I let you and your 35 billion dollar diamond climb aboard the raft as I begin to flail around. I love you dearly. I want you to survive. But you love me too. You have grown accustomed to me and do not want to let me go. But I must die. I understand that deep down I am worth nothing and you are worth everything. If it’s not clear to you yet, I represent a paper cup. “Take that diamond of yours, Starbucks, and go out into the world,” I say. A tear rolls down your face as a sad violin song begins to play, and you slowly let go of my hand. I am dead, but you are alive and well, free to live the next stage of your long and prosperous life.
