Starbucks has recently been criticized for their use of six million gallons of water each day. According to an ABCNews article, this is enough to fill an Olympic pool every 83 minutes.
This usage of water comes from their practice of leaving a tap running all day to prevent germ buildup on used spoons and other utensils.
The water waste appears to be a bit contradictory to what the company strives to achieve through the marketing of their “Ethos Water“, a brand of bottled water that contributes a portion of its proceeds to water projects in developing country so children around the world can have access to clean water. The Sun’s investigation into this issue reported that the wasted water “would provide enough daily water for the entire two million-strong population of drought-hit Namibia in Africa “
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the company’s branches in Australia have also been highly criticized because of droughts and water restrictions in many areas.
Starbucks responded in the Chicago Sun-Times by defending themselves and arguing that they have good intentions.
“”We recognize that the . . . amount of water that is used by the system is an issue that needs immediate attention. Starbucks’ challenge is to balance water conservation with the need for customer safety.”
Environmentalist have a different take on the issue.
Do customers care more about safety and service or social responsibility? How important is it to customers that their coffee shop of choice be environmentally friendly? Let me know what your opinion is and take my poll below!
The Bean Stalker 