I have to give my husband credit for this idea. What can companies with a storefront presence do in the middle of a garbage strike when the coffee cups with their branding all over them start to pile up and litter the streets for all the locals and tourists to see? Encourage self-responsibility with a surcharge.
If every Starbucks and their competitors charged customers during a garbage strike an additional $0.25 for a take out cup, because the customer did not bring their own, then the money could be used to clean up the mess outside and creatively dispose of it.
Conversely, if a customer brings in their own cup, deduct $0.25 and do so loudly so all can hear. Or, the coffee company could choose to sell their own permanent mugs at cost.
What does this type of conversation sound like.
Barista: “Welcome to Starbucks. What can I get for you? “
Customer: “A double tall mocha frappachino with extra whip, please.”
Barista: “Would you like a cup with that drink or did you bring your own?”
Customer: “Cup, please. I’ll have to remember to bring mine next time.”
Barista: “Would you like it in our travel mug? We are offering them at cost during the garbage strike.”
Customer: “Oh, well in that case, the travel mug will be fine.”
Barista: That will be $3.75 plus 2.25 for the travel mug, the proceeds of which we will be using to help us clean up the cup litter out on the street during the garbage strike. Thanks very much for doing your part on this!”
Way to be the ripple Starbucks… or will one of the local coffeehouses pick up this idea first. We shall soon hear about it or see it. Which coffee company will use this Catch 22 to turn it into a brand building opportunity for themselves and have a clean front sidewalk and which logo will we see being attacked by the crows and rodents and kicked around by the tourists?
Strikes are going on in Alameda and Vancouver and Forbes Magazine is already writing about the impact on tourist business.
I will be keeping track of which companies get on the bandwagon. Tell me what you see out there. Send photos. Send your stories.
1 response so far ↓
annalore // August 20, 2007 at 10:14 am
Here’s what Starbucks has to say about our idea…
Hello Lorraine,
Thank you for contacting Starbucks Coffee Company with your questions regarding our recycling efforts. The question of recyclability is not a simple one to answer. Much depends on the recycling facilities offered in your area.
Most recycling service providers consider a used, stained paper coffee cup to be contaminated and, therefore, it cannot be recycled. But if you have access to a comprehensive composting program where coffee grounds, napkins, food scraps, etc. are all collected in the same bin the paper cups can probably be recycled there, yet it’s still best to double check with your recycling center.
Starbucks is committed to protecting and improving the environment, and is continually pursuing opportunities to reduce, reuse, and recycle our waste products where commercial facilities exist. Most of our retail store recycling is conducted “behind the scenes” in the back room (boxes, milk jugs, etc.). If you are not certain that recycling is taking place in a store, please ask a store manager; he/she can explain what we are doing, what is recyclable in the local area, and what the landlord will allow for waste disposal. One of our challenges is that some parts of the country can process more recyclable materials than others. We are working with a recycling subcontractor to locate local recycling facilities to process materials generated from each store.
In addition to our retail stores, recycling programs exist in our other facilities, including Starbucks Support Center, our global headquarters in Seattle, and our roasting plants in Kent, Washington; York, Pennsylvania; and Carson Valley, Nevada. Additionally, we consider recylability, reusability and recycled content in our paper and packaging purchases to reduce our impact on the environment. Last year, Starbucks paper products contained 26% post consumer recycled content. We have targeted 30% post-consumer content for all future paper purchases.
On the waste reduction side, we are focused on encouraging reuse of coffee grounds by packaging them and giving them to customers to use as a soil amendment in their gardens. We also offer customers a 10¢ discount each time they use their commuter mug to enjoy their Starbucks beverage. Last year, our customers used their own mugs 13.5 million times, which prevented 586,800 pounds of paper waste from reaching landfills. Reusing coffee grounds and the commuter mug discount complement our recycling efforts because they help to minimize the amount of waste that is produced in each store.
Please know that we appreciate your comments and that we take our responsibility to the environment very seriously. Your concerns will be forwarded to our utility specialist, who manages in-store recycling for North America. If you have additional questions or comments, please contact us at info@starbucks.com or call 1-800-235-2883 to speak directly with a customer relations representative.
Thank you again for contacting Starbucks Coffee Company.
Sincerely,
Julie S.
Customer Relations Representative
If you would like to share your thoughts about your experience with Starbucks Customer Contact Center, please click on the link below to participate in a short survey. Your comments will be used to ensure that any future experiences with Starbucks Customer Contact Center meet your highest expectations.
http://www.starbuckscontactcenter.com/star_ccc_index.asp?group=CR&template=CR062
You must be logged in to post a comment.