Starbucks Accused of Massive Water Waste

Starbucks has a public relations mess on its hands. A publication from the United Kingdom has accused the international coffee chain of massive waste of water:

“…As part of a company policy aimed at preventing germ buildup in its taps, Starbucks stores are directed to keep water running constantly into a sink, called a dipper well, to clean utensils and wash away food residue, The Sun reported.

As a result of running water all day, every day at each of the company’s 10,000 worldwide coffee emporiums, Starbucks wastes water in an amount The Sun estimated to be “enough daily water for the entire 2 million strong population of drought-hit Namibia in Africa or fill an Olympic pool every 83 minutes.”"

link: Starbucks Wasting More Than 6 Million Gallons of Water a Day

If these allegations are valid, each Starbucks outlet which follows this policy must have a substantial water utility bill. Of course, the utility expense would be passed onto the consumer. Conservationists will have ample support if this indeed Starbucks company policy.

Catherine Forsythe