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butterflydreamingI received an invitation to sign this petition, below. I disagree with it on several levels. This isn't a human rights issue. How about instead of gathering electronic signatures to tell a business how to run its business, you (Angelino who started this) let Starbucks know why you will be taking your business elsewhere? Then get others to join the letter campaign.
"Dear Starbucks,
Until you address the waste stream caused by unnecessary plastic lids, I will be purchasing my daily latte from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf." [local coffee shop][or Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Peet's, wherever] Letter goes on to relate the no-choice incident from the petition.
Starbucks: Put a lid on plastic waste!
By Kristin B.
Recently, I stopped at a Starbucks while traveling and requested no lid with my drink because I was drinking it there, and also because I graduated from a sippy cup when I was 5. The barista told me I had to take a lid, and when I refused, she took the un-used, brand new lid and threw it in the trash, saying "We get in trouble if I don't give you a lid." They're required to give customers lids for hot and cold drinks, even if the customer doesn't want it. What a waste!
When I returned to LA, I started doing some research. Starbucks does have plans to put recycling in all of their locations, and they recently released a new reusable cup (that I carry when in LA) to encourage their customers to cut down on waste. But in the meantime, Starbucks trash bins are literally overflowing. Starbucks sells approximately 4 billion cups of coffee a year -- that's BILLIONS of plastic lids winding up in landfills EVERY YEAR. I think that's about 11 million lids a DAY! 500,000 an HOUR!
If Starbucks allowed customers to opt out of taking a lid, even if only a small percentage of people did it, hundreds of thousands of pounds of plastic could be kept out of landfills. Just like stores from Walmart to Whole Foods have been cutting back on their use of plastic bags, Starbucks can set an example for the coffee industry to reduce its plastic waste by making lids optional.
Why must I use a sippy cup? Starbucks claims it's a "liability issue", in other words money they could lose if someone spills and sues. Starbucks made 13.3 BILLION in profits in 2012, and all they'd have to do is put a sign in the window "If you refuse a lid and spill hot stuff on you, it is hot."
They already allow their customers in Canada to decide for themselves if they want a lid, so why can't customers choose in the US? Stop pushing plastic on those of us who know those lids go into a landfill in someone else's back yard. Tell Starbucks to give us a choice when it comes to lids, and let us take responsibility for our guilty pleasures and our environment.
My philosophy is simple. I am willing to "vote with my wallet." I am willing to be inconvenienced to support my ideals. (The inconvenience rarely lasts, since these changes become habit.)
I believe that small changes make big change, especially where profits are concerned. If you don't like plastic in the landfill, don't use plastic. Recycling is a cop-out. Biodegradable spoons are a cop-out. They are only acceptable as transitional steps toward doing better as an individual. As with all betterment, progress must be constant. There is no plateau of done, where you can drive all you want and use Ziplocs and drink from paper cups and throw away food.
Lady, you don't change the world for the better with There Should Be a Law. The problem in this instance may in fact be the law, since Starbucks claims that it is a liability issue, but it's not an issue at Canadian locations.
Also, what a weak goal! What tiny impact it would make, to allow an optional lid! 98% of the time, the cashier won't pass the request to the barista anyway. Lid. Or the barista will autopilot. Lid. Or the customer doesn't give a damn about disposables. Lid! Cup! Paper sleeve and oceans of napkins! Sugar packets and stir sticks!
"Dear Starbucks,
Until you address the waste stream caused by unnecessary plastic lids, I will be purchasing my daily latte from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf." [local coffee shop][or Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Peet's, wherever] Letter goes on to relate the no-choice incident from the petition.
Starbucks: Put a lid on plastic waste!
By Kristin B.
Recently, I stopped at a Starbucks while traveling and requested no lid with my drink because I was drinking it there, and also because I graduated from a sippy cup when I was 5. The barista told me I had to take a lid, and when I refused, she took the un-used, brand new lid and threw it in the trash, saying "We get in trouble if I don't give you a lid." They're required to give customers lids for hot and cold drinks, even if the customer doesn't want it. What a waste!
When I returned to LA, I started doing some research. Starbucks does have plans to put recycling in all of their locations, and they recently released a new reusable cup (that I carry when in LA) to encourage their customers to cut down on waste. But in the meantime, Starbucks trash bins are literally overflowing. Starbucks sells approximately 4 billion cups of coffee a year -- that's BILLIONS of plastic lids winding up in landfills EVERY YEAR. I think that's about 11 million lids a DAY! 500,000 an HOUR!
If Starbucks allowed customers to opt out of taking a lid, even if only a small percentage of people did it, hundreds of thousands of pounds of plastic could be kept out of landfills. Just like stores from Walmart to Whole Foods have been cutting back on their use of plastic bags, Starbucks can set an example for the coffee industry to reduce its plastic waste by making lids optional.
Why must I use a sippy cup? Starbucks claims it's a "liability issue", in other words money they could lose if someone spills and sues. Starbucks made 13.3 BILLION in profits in 2012, and all they'd have to do is put a sign in the window "If you refuse a lid and spill hot stuff on you, it is hot."
They already allow their customers in Canada to decide for themselves if they want a lid, so why can't customers choose in the US? Stop pushing plastic on those of us who know those lids go into a landfill in someone else's back yard. Tell Starbucks to give us a choice when it comes to lids, and let us take responsibility for our guilty pleasures and our environment.
My philosophy is simple. I am willing to "vote with my wallet." I am willing to be inconvenienced to support my ideals. (The inconvenience rarely lasts, since these changes become habit.)
I believe that small changes make big change, especially where profits are concerned. If you don't like plastic in the landfill, don't use plastic. Recycling is a cop-out. Biodegradable spoons are a cop-out. They are only acceptable as transitional steps toward doing better as an individual. As with all betterment, progress must be constant. There is no plateau of done, where you can drive all you want and use Ziplocs and drink from paper cups and throw away food.
Lady, you don't change the world for the better with There Should Be a Law. The problem in this instance may in fact be the law, since Starbucks claims that it is a liability issue, but it's not an issue at Canadian locations.
Also, what a weak goal! What tiny impact it would make, to allow an optional lid! 98% of the time, the cashier won't pass the request to the barista anyway. Lid. Or the barista will autopilot. Lid. Or the customer doesn't give a damn about disposables. Lid! Cup! Paper sleeve and oceans of napkins! Sugar packets and stir sticks!
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no subject
Date: 2013-06-16 06:24 pm (UTC)I agree with you on the more material point, though. "offering a choice of lid or no lid" is a weak goal.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-16 07:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-16 07:43 pm (UTC)Starbucks gave up on pour design a long time ago. Right about the time they went with push-button espresso machines that make it possible for any untrained monkey to be the barista. No wonder they put lids on everything; it's to hide the ordinariness of the contents!
To me, Starbucks is to coffee as McDonald's is to hamburgers: not good, but consistent. No matter where in the world your Starbucks is, you know exactly what you're going to get. Given that I don't drink froofy drinks anymore (no milk, no syrup, no sprinkles, etc.), I'd rather go somewhere with excellent coffee. And there are enough of those around here.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-16 08:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-16 11:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-16 05:24 pm (UTC)I've never had an issue with requesting no lid at Stabucks. They also recycle and compost at many locations in the U.S.
My guess is that she stopped at a Starbucks in an airport. If so, the issue should be taken up with the airport/port authority as they are usually the ones who handle garbage from the franchises and probably are the ones who set the lid policy.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-16 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-16 11:00 pm (UTC)And, really, it sounds like she got a barista who was having a bitchy day or who had just gotten yelled at or something. Or possibly like she was bitchy enough to the barista that it got reflected back on her. And while the barista should have probably taken a deep, meditative breath and let it all go, I can't fault a customer service person for having a bitchy moment since I have my share of those too.