Going Green Project: Site Audit to Starbucks

Going Green Project: Site Audit to Starbucks
By Michelle Furnari, Lilly Savastano, Rachel Wolf, Stephane Marandi

       As a group we decided to go to Starbucks and promote environmentally
friendly measures they can take. On their website Starbucks claims "we share our
customer' commitment to the environment", yet ironically when we visited the
nearest Starbucks location we couldn't even find one recycling bin in the store.
This poses major threats regarding deforestation because these paper products
require trees to be cut down, typically which come from ecosystems such as the
Amazon Rainforest, which is already in a fragile state. Also, the plastic that
Starbucks uses as lids and coffee bean packaging are slowly degradable, which
means it has to be sent to a landfill where it will take hundreds of years to degrade.
As a result we have created a book of multiple changes we would like Starbucks to
consider and hopefully take on in the future. If Starbucks could even adjust their
company to fulfill a few of these ideas they could have a huge impact by inspiring
other companies to do the same. During our visit, the manager claimed that it
would be hard to change his store because it was connected to the larger
corporation. This made it hard for Starbucks to incorporate our suggestions into its
business. Even though the project may be over, our group will not lose hope and
will continue inspiring others to make as many environmentally friendly changes
as possible.

Burlap coffee bean bags

The packaging in which coffee beans are sold to Starbucks customers is plastic,
which is slowly degradable. This means it will take hundreds of years in order for
it to disappear, and will further pollute landfills. Instead of selling thousands of
packages of coffee beans in this material, we proposed that Starbucks sell their
coffee beans in burlap bags which are created from jute. Jute is a durable vegetable
fiber that can be spun into coarse to create a wide variety of items such as curtains,
rugs, bags and much more. This material is cheap, 100% biodegradable and
recyclable which are essential characteristics of products for a big business like
Starbucks, but besides benefiting the company it will also help ecosystems.
Therefore, in an effort to change the world we are starting off small and
encouraging Starbucks to become more environmentally friendly.

Recycling Bin

During our trip to Starbucks we discovered that Starbucks did not have a recycling
bin. The Starbucks we visited, along with many others, only had a garbage bin
where all wastes were disposed of. These wastes include plastic bottles, paper and
Starbucks cups. We proposed that Starbucks should get a recycling bin to help
conserve resources. The manager then responded that organizing recyclables is a
taxing process. To help accommodate Starbucks we offered the store a three-way
recycling bin that would organize the recyclable products and help make the
disposal process less strenuous. This bin would help conserve resources and
encourage Starbucks to recycle other products. In addition, if one Starbucks stared
recycling then hopefully more stores in the area and throughout the world would
also recycle.

Product packaging

Starbucks packages its food two ways. First, Starbucks displays pastries on glass,
reusable trays. This method of food display is environmentally friendly and is
efficient in conserving resources. The Second way is by individually packaging
sandwiches and other food products. We suggested that Starbucks should display
their sandwiches in a similar manner to their pastries and present almost all food
products on glass trays. If Starbucks did this then they could put each individual
food product in a paper bag if it was purchased. Currently, when buying a panini
sandwich from Starbucks, the employees will remove the plastic and paper
wrapping and heat up the sandwich. Then the employees will give the customer the
sandwich in a paper bag and throw away the wrapping. If sandwiches were
displayed similarly to pastries unnecessary paper and plastic would not be wasted.

Coffee Cups and Sleeves

At Starbucks they put a “hot sleeve” on each hot cup of coffee. The sleeve is
currently made of 60% recycled materials. While this may seem like the ultimate
way to be green, there is room for improvement. First of all, they can try to
increase the percentage of recyclable material they use. If they use this method
they could also print “eco facts” on the sleeves to make sure that their customers
are aware of what they can do to be environmentally friendly. They could also sell
reusable sleeves that customers could bring in when they purchase coffee. In
addition, Starbucks could make special offers (free refills, discounts, etc) for those
who bring in reusable cups. This would also benefit Starbucks economically,
because they would save money on manufacturing cups.

Light Bulbs
                                                             With today’s advancements in
                                                             technology we must continuously
                                                             update to the new and better
                                                             innovation. Technology for the past
                                                             fifteen years or, has played a large role
                                                             in what we call “green technology”—a
                                                             type of technology which supports and
                                                             encourages environmental
                                                             sustainability. From something as large
                                                             as the discovery of solar panels to
                                                             something as small as the discovery of
                                                             an LED lightbulb, green technology
                                                             has proved itself to be a benefit of
                                                             society rather than an unethical
detriment. The LED lightbulb, although around since the 1920s, has not gained that much fame
since its commencement. What people don’t know however, is that these lightbulbs generate as
much light as a 60-watt incandescent and are designed to use for just about anywhere. Because
of the current economic situation, we understand that the liquid assets available to us have
reached a minimal and low point; however, many are unaware that these LED bulbs can save
plenty of money in the long run. Home Depot’s 800 Iumen phillips LED bulb is priced at just
under $40 and consumes roughly 12 watts. A 40-watt equivalent from Lighting Sciences Group,
which consumes less than 8-watts, costs just under $18. In terms of looking at this in a longview
from financial perspective, one must understand that putting a $40 LED to replace a 60-watt
incandescent will save roughly $132 over the life of the bulb, assuming the price of electricity
runs at 10 cents per kilowatt-hour. In total, this amounts to more than 25,000 hours or 17 years of
using a lightbulb over four hours a day. Therefore, if one left their LED lightbulb on for 8 hours
a day during a 10 year period, they would not have to change the bulb within that duration.
Through environmental lenses, however, LED lightbulbs also conserve energy. LED lightbulbs
are very efficient and consume very little electricity, so you will see an immediate decrease in
your electric bell by using LED replacement lights. Facing up to 25,000 hours or more of stated
life and encouraging the saving of money, a business that uses over 16 hours of lighting a day
would clearly appreciate the change from incandescent to LED lights from both environmental
and economical aspects.
        The bulb that we suggested to Starbucks was the Philips LED bulb. This light bulb is the
latest general-use LED bulbs do a better job dispersing light and also give off a warm glow. This
bulb would be the most economical and would give a welcoming feel similar to the current
lightbulbs.

The Amazon rainforest, which is one of the most important ecosystems in the world,
supports life for a wide range of species and is being further and further depleted each day
by humans. Agriculture which provides coffee beans to companies such as Starbucks, is one
of the leading causes of destruction in Rainforest's. Since farming requires large plots of
land, slash and burn farming is used. This is the process of cutting down vegetation in a
patch of forest, and burning it to provide the infertile soil with the nutrients it lacks. Slash
and burn farming only provides nutrients to the soil for a limited amount of time, because
tropical downpours flush away the nutrients into the rivers. As a result, the land is only
usable for up to three years forcing farmers to relocate which ultimately repeats the cycle
of destruction. Also, If people continue using the land unsustainably we will not only
contribute to global warming and desertification, but ultimately destroy the Amazon
forever.

   Despite the thousands of Starbucks locations, the company has over 70,000 to 80,000
deliveries per week, which takes up a majority of the companies expenses. One change
Starbucks implement would be to limit the number of shipments they have per week. For
example, instead of having many frequent small shipments it would be best to have fewer
shipments in bulk. This would benefit Starbucks because less money would be going
towards shipments and they would decrease the amount of fossil fuels they burn.
Transportation is one of the main contributors to the burning of fossil fuels, therefore
limiting their shipments would have a positive effect not only a local, but also a global scale