Saw this on 20th and Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monica at the end of a run, and it amused me so much that I ran home, got my camera, and ran back to take a picture of it.
Seems Starbucks’ promotions for the latest eco-docu Arctic Tale, reviewed here, is kinda polluting our environment. This on top of the fact that as Jasmin notes, Starbucks’ paper carriers’re printed in China and assembled in Indonesia….
Of course, Starbucks isn’t solely to blame. Whoever jettisoned this cup on the sidewalk garden to — biodegrade? — is a bit of an idiot too. After all, the mermaid offers a dime off for bringing in your own cup, though a lot of customers don’t know this and fewer take advantage of it.
My challenge to Starbucks as a sponsor of Arctic Tale: Shave a dime off the printed menu prices, then ADD ON a dime for NOT bringing one’s own cup. This way, no-cup people’d still pay the full price while cup people get a dime off — but everyone’d start thinking about it.
Perhaps something to discuss at the “National Day of Discussion” Starbucks plans to hold in stores on August 15, 2007, “designed to engage local participants in a dialogue about how to modify their impact on the planet by making simple, everyday decisions.” The only problem would be that — people might actually start bringing their cups in more!
Is that a double cup AND a sleeve? This isn’t good for my blood pressure.
Comment by Summer — August 7, 2007 @ 9:47 pm
I don’t think a dime off or on, either way, is enough to sway people to bring in their own cups.
this is an idea that’s been floating around my head for several years: that municipalities have general-use flatware supplies (like metal cafeteria flatware) that you can take home, then take back to drop-off locations. The city or town washes and distributes the flatware to restaurants. The restaurant can keep some on hand and wash it if they have the facilities. Most small restaurants use plastic utensils because it’s cheaper to buy them than it is to pay a person to wash metal flatware. The same is true for cups and dishes. A similar concept could be implemented for them.
Comment by mollie — August 7, 2007 @ 9:48 pm
Yep — double cup and sleeve — and there were a couple crumpled up napkins inside too –
mollie — This is a cool idea — sorta like how the mall food court people share trays, but on a larger scale, yes? Sounds kinda hard to implement though — Maybe they can start with at least offering metal flatware along with the reusable trays at malls –
But I really do think the dime will make a diff. Ikea’s now charging a nickel for their bags — and it really does get people not to take the bag (or bring their own) –
Comment by Siel — August 7, 2007 @ 9:58 pm
I don’t think a dime off or on, either way, is enough to sway people to bring in their own cups.
Don’t underestimate people’s stinginess
Comment by simon — August 8, 2007 @ 1:54 am
I agree with Simon.
Comment by Jasmin — August 8, 2007 @ 5:39 am
i’m sure if i brought my own cup into the bucks in my hood they’d be perplexed. though, i’m going to start doing this! thanks for letting me know so i can feel a tad better when i have the urge for my latte. love the site.
Comment by gwen — August 8, 2007 @ 4:19 pm
so you’re saying list the price, then when the person gets up to the register another dime is added on? The Starbucks employees are all going to have to be trained to ask for peoples’ cups. I guess this could lead to non-throwaway cups becoming the standard again. (remember that? It wasn’t too long ago.) As in what they offer is a ceramic cup. You have to ask for a to-go cup (and know you will be charged for one) if you want it. I hate Starbucks anyway- haven’t patronized one in years. They’ve made a huge contribution to the concept of throwaway coffee cups as the norm, and have added tons of waste to the stream as a result. They could have been a leader in this from the start, but went for speed, volume, and *convenience* instead. Any efforts they make now are like closing the barn door after the horse has escaped.
Comment by mollie — August 9, 2007 @ 7:46 am
I rarely go to Starbucks, but I think it’s great you can bring your own cup. I didn’t know that….
Comment by Holly — August 9, 2007 @ 8:33 am
PS I went to a Native Plant Society meeting one time when a member suggested everyone bring their own cups for meeting beverages rather than use styrofoam, and the president belittled her in front of everyone and told her cups weren’t important. I never went back for another meeting….
Comment by Holly — August 9, 2007 @ 8:35 am
I think some Starbucks stores with regular customers who bring their cups’re used to it; other stores, you have to ask for your discount, deal with baristas first making the drink in a paper cup then pouring it into the reusable mug, etc. So Starbucks really needs to do some educating of customers too…
In cafes in general, I’ve found that if I ask for my drink specifically in a ceramic mug while I order it, my request’s granted –
Odd about the Native Plant Society prez. Belittling members generally isn’t a good way of encouraging membership –
Comment by Siel — August 9, 2007 @ 9:06 am
At Serious Coffee in Victoria you get $0.25 off, if you use a reusable cup. No doubt there will be more of this happening in the future. What a great trend.
Comment by Stephen — August 9, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
So, here is an obvious question: did you pick up the garbage that you were so concerned about or did you leave it there in the street????
Comment by Kristin — August 11, 2007 @ 4:11 pm
This may well cause the implosion of the loophole I’ve discovered, but sharing is caring:
1) Bring your travel mug to the Starbucks you hit often enough that they know your face (for me, it’s the one by my work on Colorado between Cloverfield and 20TH in Santa Monica).
2) Hand them your cup.
3) Ask for a “refill.” This seems to key in some kind of automatic response for the cashier, and they push the register button marked, whaddya know, “refill.”
4) If they give you a suspicious look, you must wink, nudge, do the eco-shuffle, whatever.
5) 90% of the time, pay the refill price – $0.50. The rest of the time, it’s the dime-off deal.
6) Thank your cashier heartily, and drop a whopping $0.25 tip (wow, 50%!) into the tip jar.
Ta-daaa! Technically, this is cheating, since you did not refill your coffee, but the cashiers don’t care, and neither should Starbucks. They’re out the same amount of drip as a refill, and you’re a more loyal Starbucks drinker for it. Plus, it’s fun, especially the wink, nudge, eco-shuffle part.
Thanks all, and enjoy!
Comment by Andrew — September 1, 2007 @ 11:14 am
Kristin — It wasn’t on the street; it was in a concrete sidewalk garden thing (private property). And no, I did not pick that up, nor did I pick up all the garbage on that street, which would’ve taken me hours. I think trash is better when 1) not produced, or 2) disposed of by the people who created it. My pointing this out doesn’t obligate me to go picking up after Starbucks.
Andrew — You must work pretty close to me! Perhaps when you have the chance, you might try the Starbucks Challenge? :)
Comment by Siel — September 2, 2007 @ 4:09 pm
A great issue to highlight! See also: http://youtube.com/watch?v=AlfszjapNb8.
Comment by Jeanne — June 4, 2008 @ 2:18 pm