Most of us recognize Starbucks as one of the most eco-friendly coffee shops in NYC. They have planned initiatives like planting 1 tree per cup of coffee, using recycled material for their cups, and partnering with environmentally friendly farmers to mitigate the effects of climate change. I mean like, even their logo is green.
While Starbucks has become a champion of sustainability, I think they are neglecting the the biggest issue yet – food waste. Today, as I waited 45 minutes for my 4 coffee travelers, I couldn’t help but notice the poorly trained staff who would overfill the shaker and end up pouring the excess milk down the drain. What shocked me more was that other staff did the same exact thing. I began wondering, is this just bad practice at this specific Starbucks shop? Or has it become an institutionalized practice?
I suddenly recall my recent visit to Coco’s, a bubble tea shop right across from Baruch, and remembered how the barista poured out an entire cup of mango slush down the drain because it was the wrong order. Hell, I would’ve taken that drink for free in a heartbeat. But now I realize this isn’t a problem specific to that local Starbucks, or even coffee shops in general. Food waste has become so common that we forget about the hundreds of thousands of children starving in the streets. As a global leader, NYC should set an example to not only protect the environment that we have, but also to sustain it. Food is a finite resource that has a much better destination than the sewers.
So much thoughtless waste!