Top 5 Tips For A "Greener" Experience At Starbucks

The following is an excerpt from a post I made yesterday on my blog. It has already received the 2nd highest amount of traffic for the month of June.

I thought you might like to read it. :)

Let me know what you think...

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I went to Starbucks the other day to work on my computer and came up with the idea for this list.

But first… let’s discuss why I came up with this list in the first place..

There were 2 things that really caught my attention;

1. My order: I ordered a grande coffee and a small glass of water. As usual, the barista served me a cup of coffee in a disposable cup with a disposable lid and a disposable sleeve. (Note: It is not uncommon to receive 1 cup of coffee inside of 2 disposable cups.)
My cup of water was served in a disposable cup with a disposable lid and a disposable plastic straw wrapped in disposable paper.
That is a lot of waste! No wonder our drinks cost so much.

2. As I sat there working on my computer, I watched the baristas take out several bags of trash. The amount of garbage accumulated in a single Starbucks in a matter of a couple of hours is astounding. This garbage is mostly paper and plastic, but it is not recycled; it is hauled straight to our landfills. (Note: Most of the people who frequent Starbucks get their beverages to go, so the amount of garbage accumulated per day is astronomical.)

I love coffee and I have a Starbucks located about 20 yards from where I work. So, I visit Starbucks almost every day, as do most people who frequent Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks has become a daily ritual for many of us.

I don’t expect anybody to stop going to Starbucks. That isn’t an option for most people.
However, I think that most of us will agree that we can make an effort to produce less waste while enjoying our delicious beverages.

Here are my top 5 tips for having a “Greener” experience at Starbucks.

1. Order your drink in a for here glass or mug. If you are going to drink your beverage at Starbucks, it makes sense to order it in a ceramic mug or glass. Think of all the paper and plastic I can prevent from filling our landfills by ordering my coffee and water in a for here mug and glass.

2. Order your scone or muffin on a plate and use silverware instead of plastic utensils if you are going to eat it at Starbucks.

3. Bring your own travel mug. Yes, you can bring your own mug into Starbucks and have the barista fill it with your favorite beverage. As an added bonus, your drink will usually cost less if you bring your own container.

4. Reuse your disposable cups if you are going to get a second cup of coffee. You will be charged for a refill instead of the full price of a cup of coffee.
For instance: In Southern California, a Grande coffee costs $1.85. A refill costs 50 cents. You save $1.35 when ordering a refill.

5. Drink less coffee. I know, this is a rough one, but some of us drink way too much coffee; myself included. Every once in a while I have to evaluate and regulate my coffee consumption.

Well, there you go…
Those are my top 5 tips for making your next Starbucks experience a “Green” one.

Making these simple changes will have a dramatic effect on the amount of waste produced every day. :D

Committed to your success,

Alexander Morentin, CES
Better Living With Whole Foods