Tech & Biz

Despite What Starbucks Says, They're Wasting Water

by Jarrett Martineau | October 6, 2008 at 08:42 am | 387 views | 10 comments | 17 recommendations

It's too easy to pass off poor business practices as being necessary for "customer safety".

Why must Starbucks leave its taps running in every store, all day, when employees could simply take two seconds and wash a couple of spoons?

Oh that's right, because Starbucks baristas are button-pushing automatons who don't actually know how to make coffee or clean up after themselves.

But maybe they could make a machine that clean spoons with just the touch of a button?

Oh wait, they have. It's called a dishwasher.

US coffee-shop chain Starbucks has defended itself against claims of a serious waste of water by leaving taps running in its stores all day.

A spokeswoman said the purpose was to clean utensils and the policy meant the company met health standards.

But environmental groups have criticised the practice, accusing Starbucks of wasting millions of litres of water every day.

Campaigners say the firm should look at more water-efficient ways of cleaning.

A report in the UK's Sun newspaper said the cold taps are left running in thousands of Starbucks branches around the world every day.

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altrugon

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 10:59 on October 6th, 2008

I like the story, specially the part that say "...who don't actually know how to make coffee..."

Just because they have money to pay all that water doesn't mean they can waste it like that

daphneduke

at 11:00 on October 6th, 2008

save water!

daphneduke has contributed a photo to this story.

yuls.source

at 14:35 on October 6th, 2008

I think all coffee shops do though. It is interesting only Starbucks came under attack.

Jennings David L

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:17 on October 6th, 2008

Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff. I didn't know they ran the water all day in every store, I'll say something to the manager next time I'm in a starbucks.

Babel-Fish

at 15:32 on October 6th, 2008

They pay their water bill, water can not actually be wasted it always recycles. But of course the cost of energy is the real factor conserning pumps and at the water preparation plant.

So it should be stated "Star Bucks is wasting energy"

Babel-Fish

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:32 on October 6th, 2008

Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff.

warlog

at 17:51 on October 6th, 2008

espero que mi foto les sea de ayuda para su articulo. gracias

warlog has contributed a photo to this story.

Michaela-Louise

at 23:25 on October 6th, 2008

Wasting water is incredibly sad because so many people around the world do not have the luxury of even a cup of clean water a day. We turn our blessings into indulgences and we forget to share those blessings with our brothers and sisters around the globe. We live in a society that is so richly blessed but so wasteful of those precious gifts.

One day, maybe one day soon, we will know what it feels like to be without clean water running from our taps or a flat of water bottles in our fridge, which, by the way, is a waste of plastic also.

Michaela-Louise has contributed a photo to this story.

Princess K8

at 01:47 on October 7th, 2008

I do hope the Starbuck's Coffee Shop where I got this photo doesn't do things like that. Hopefully, the Strabuck's branches here in the PHils. know how to conserve our precious resources.

Princess K8 has contributed a photo to this story.