Why am I writing about Starbucks on a Friday? The sad truth is… I think about work a lot when I’m not there. In fact, I DREAM about work (Starbucks) a lot when I’m not there.
But my most recent thing is something that I think in one way or another, we’re all dealing with lately because it’s EVERYWHERE….. just how GREEN are you?!
So my issue is this. As an employee of Starbucks, I KNOW how many paper ‘hot’ cups we go through in our store. With a little Google research, you’ll find out that it’s something like 2.3 BILLION cups a year company-wide. So my first thought is… “RECYCLE ‘DEM BITCHES!”
With a little MORE research, I discover that Starbucks hot cups can’t actually be recycled in most places because the cups are made from paper on the outside and coated with a plastic on the inside (to keep the paper from breaking down). Sure, this seems ridiculous. I read the Starbucks website and it claims that they just haven’t been able to find a better method while still maintaining their ’standards.’ So I obviously have a phonecall to corporate to make in an attempt to find out what EXACTLY are their standards but….
Damn the whole ‘being green’ thing. It’s like politics. It’s just too much work. SERIOUSLY. I read a lot of people bitching about things like their Starbucks drinks ALWAYS being double-cupped and how bad that is for the environment and why doesn’t Starbucks do something about it and blah blah blah but the truth is… if ANY of these people REALLY gave a shit (since ALL of them claim to get at LEAST 10 drinks a week)… they’d buy a fucking travel mug!!! Not only do they get 10c off every drink they buy but THEY become responsible for helping to save the world one cup at a time.
My issue is this… okay.. travel mug.. good. right? But how much water does it take to make that mug? How many chemicals go into the production of IT vs. the production of the 10 paper cups they’d normally be using? Is it biodegradeable? Recyclable? How much water does it take to wash/rinse it after every use vs. the water it takes to make the paper cups?
Is it even POSSIBLE to REALLY figure out which is the better method? Because in the end, it all feels like bullshit to me. It’s a money game and an issue of image.
GRR.
postscript. I’m drinking so this is more of a rant than anything else and I have more to say (gasp) but that’s for later.
