A proposal for Starbucks

I, like many people of my generation, absolutely adore and worship the deliciousness that is coffee. When people think coffee, they think Starbucks. As an avid Starbucks drinker and with my newest interest in the environment (thanks Dr.Stone), I’ve started to ponder the amount of waste each location must create every day. I wonder about all the paper cups, plastic cups, lids, straws and cardboard sleeves that must go down the can every day.

So much trash!

I know reusable, hard plastic cups are sold at many (if not all) Starbucks locations. I think a push on those products at Starbucks locations would be a progressive, environmentally minded move for Starbucks — as a global company — to be a pioneer campaigner in using less cups.

Starbucks took steps to “develop cup recycling solutions”, but I have an idea — that I know would take off with teenagers especially — that could make a step forward into being a green corporation.

My proposal is this: on Earth Day every year, every Starbucks franchise could either give away or discount drinks if the customer comes into the store with a reusable cup. This promotion would give buyers incentive to either a) come in for a discounted drink when otherwise they would not or b) buy a reusable cup for the next year’s promotion. Both ultimately cut out the amount of waste for one day out of the year.

Starbucks enacted a program similar to this in 2010 and 2011, but it has been 3 years, and I think it is time to bring it back. Plus, if you bring a tumbler to Starbucks on a daily basis, they will give you a discounted drink — most people don’t know this though.

I think that if Starbucks really began to push towards the goal for “5 percent of all beverages made in [their] stores in personal tumblers”, a lot more people would be on board with using reusable cups.

Starbucks does have a link on the website dedicated to their strives to help the environment; however up until writing this article, I never knew it existed. As a company that is connected to people that are connected to the ideas of being hip, modern and progressive, it surprises me that their push for environment is not more publicized.

A lot of the younger generations — who are typically more focused on progressive ideals — would absolutely soak up Starbucks’ advocation for a cleaner Earth.

Hopefully, if Starbucks enacts more regular promotions advertising green habits, it will show other dominant corporations the importance of becoming environmentally aware and friendly.

Juliana Rube, senior editor, 2013-14