The Greening of Starbucks

Ever true to my "Scream it Green" roots, I often e-mail the city or business owners asking why don't they do things a certain "green" way and how I can help them change their old habits.  

Recently, I wrote to a Mercer Island executive about our local Starbucks. I had noticed that several Seattle Starbucks stores display recycling and compost containers next to the milk and sugar table. When I first saw this I was thrilled, but that excitement was immediately followed by the thought, "Why isn't this on Mercer Island?"

I learned that Starbucks is, in fact, working on this issue on a more national level and before it puts the waste-reduction program in more stores, and it is trying to perfect it in some pilot stores in Seattle.  

In a written reponse, Starbucks said it recycles all of those milk jugs, syrup containers and cardboard boxes you see the workers going through at lightning speed to get us our cup of java! That recycling is diverting a great amount of plastic and paper from landfills. Thanks to some letter writing, Starbucks also is working with its stores and Allied Waste to find a way to bring these fantastic recycling and compost stations in our Mercer Island stores. Then we can better educate our own community about the importance of waste reduction and recycling.

Starbucks also set a goal to reduce its energy consumption by 25 percent, and it said it is well on the way to achieving it. Starbucks uses LED lighting combined with new store design approaches. The company also has pledged to reduce water consumption by 25 percent by 2015. Between 2008 and 2009, it already had decreased it 4.1%.

It is truly remarkable to see companies as large and global as Starbucks recognizing the importance of stewardship and community education. The coffee giant may yet become a shining example to companies around the world about the importance of making a difference by being a leader in a situation that needs tremendous support.