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Starbucks Wastes Millions of Litres of Water a Day
Environmental campaigners have attacked Starbucks after the discovery that millions of litres of water are wasted in its coffee shops every day, contradicting its much-boasted green credentials.
An investigation by the Sun revealed that over 23.4m litres of water are poured down the drains of 10,000 outlets worldwide due to a policy of keeping a tap running non-stop.
It is enough daily water for the entire 2 million population of Namibia in Africa, which has severe droughts, or to fill an Olympic pool every 83 minutes.
A single Starbucks tap left running for just over three minutes wastes the amount of water one African needs to survive for a day in drought conditions.
Each Starbucks has a cold tap behind the counter that runs into a sink known as a "dipper well" - used to wash utensils.
Under the company's health and safety rules, staff are banned from turning the water off because management claim that a constant flow of water prevents germs breeding in taps.
Water companies joined green activists in criticising the firm for harming the environment and wasting a vital natural resource. Experts said leaving taps running for hygiene reasons was "nonsense". Environmental campaigners have attacked Starbucks after the discovery that millions of litres of water are wasted in its coffee shops ... more -
Starbucks Stores Waste Millions Of Gallons Of Water A Day
STARBUCKS was blasted by environmental experts last night after The Sun discovered it pours millions of litres of precious water down the drain at its coffee shops.
The giant coffee chain has a policy of keeping a tap running non-stop at all its 10,000 outlets worldwide, wasting 23.4 MILLION litres a day.
That would provide enough daily water for the entire two million-strong population of drought-hit Namibia in Africa or fill an Olympic pool every 83 minutes! STARBUCKS was blasted by environmental experts last night after The Sun discovered it pours millions of litres of precious water down ... more -
Starbucks - The drain robbery
Starbucks was blasted by environmental experts last night after a UK tabloid discovered it pours millions of liters of precious water down the drain at its coffee shops.
Wasting 23.4 MILLION litres a day - the giant coffee chain has a policy of keeping a tap running non-stop at all its 10,000 outlets worldwide. Starbucks was blasted by environmental experts last night after a UK tabloid discovered it pours millions of liters of precious water ... more -
Palin & Starbucks: What Else Did She Learn At Breakfast?
Palin misquoted Madeleine Albright off a Starbucks cup and suggests women should support her or go to hell.
What else did Palin learn at breakfast?
That Trix IS for kids and that she shoots rabbits from airplanes to prevent greedy bunnies from getting the cereal.
See what else she learned at the link Palin misquoted Madeleine Albright off a Starbucks cup and suggests women should support her or go to hell. ... more -
Starbucks continuing global takeover: Portugal next on list
Starbucks is to open its first coffee shop in Portugal on September 30th in the Alegro de Alfragide shopping centre, though a second more significant store is set to open later this year in Belém.
As well as all the usual coffees and drinks, a heavy investment will be made on Arabian flavours, to accommodate the Portuguese palate.
A range of Portuguese delicacies like Pastéis de Nata and bean cakes will also be sold to complement the coffees.
A third outlet is planned to open before the end of the year, in total creating 40 job openings.
Whilst the first store is set to open next week, the second store, which is being considered by managing directors as the ‘real launch’, should be ready for business shortly after and will be located on Rua de Belém, near the Mosteiros dos Jerónimos monument.
During the next two years all Starbucks outlets will open in the metropolis of Lisbon. After that period the chain will look to expand out of the capital. It is thought Oporto could be the next area of investment.
There are already more than 70 Starbucks ‘boutiques’ in Spain and around 40 in France. Starbucks is to open its first coffee shop in Portugal on September 30th in the Alegro de Alfragide shopping centre, though a second m... more -
Fight for Your Right to Shop? Riot Cops Detain IWW Starbucks Union Supporters at M...
Baristas at the Mall of America Starbucks joined the Starbucks Workers Union in July 2008. Starbucks fired Barista Erik Forman in an effort to stymie the union drive. Through a campaign of direct action, legal pressure, and media advocacy, we won Erik's job back. On August 31st, the IWW held a rally to celebrate the union victory. After the rally, union supporters accompanied Erik Forman to his first shift back at the Mall of America. Things did not go as planned.
The IWW plans to file Unfair Labor Practice charges against the Mall of America, Metro Transit, and Bloomington Police over the illegal detainment of 50 union supporters in a train at the Mall of America. Baristas at the Mall of America Starbucks joined the Starbucks Workers Union in July 2008. Starbucks fired Barista Erik Forman in an e... more -
Milk off shelves as China's safety scandal grows
China's food safety crisis widened Friday after the industrial chemical melamine was found in milk produced by three of the country's leading dairy companies — prompting stores, including Starbucks, to yank milk from their shelves.
The recalls come as evidence is mounting that adding chemicals to watered-down milk was a widespread practice in China's dairy industry.
Sipping from a carton of milk at a news conference, the chief financial officer of one of the companies, Mengniu, apologized for the tainted milk. But he insisted only a small portion of the company's inventory had been contaminated and said the tainted milk came from small-scale dairy farmers.
"Large-scale milk farms are very disciplined. They won't take the risk to do something like that," Yao Tongshan told reporters in Hong Kong.
The crisis was initially thought to have been confined to tainted milk powder, used to make baby formula that has been blamed in the deaths of four infants and for sickening 6,200 other children.
But tests found melamine in samples of liquid milk taken from China's two largest dairy producers, Mengniu Dairy Group Co. and Yili Industrial Group Co., as well as Shanghai-based Bright Dairy. The chemical, which is used in plastics and fertilizers, can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure.
All batches that tested positive were being recalled, China's product safety watchdog said in a report on its Web site. It pledged to "severely punish those who are responsible."
Melamine, which is high in nitrogen, makes products with it appear higher in protein. Suppliers trying to cut costs are believed to have added it to watered-down milk to cover up the resulting protein deficiency.
No tainted infant formula has turned up in the United States, where authorities have inspected more than 1,000 retail markets mainly serving Asian communities. China is an importer of liquid milk, so it's unlikely that milk from that country would have been shipped to the U.S.
But the Food and Drug Administration said it is stepping up inspections at ports as a precaution. Inspectors will be sampling bulk shipments of food ingredients from Asia that are derived from milk, such as milk powder and whey powder. The FDA also plans to issue a consumer alert warning people not to buy milk products from China on the Internet.
A senior dairy analyst said Chinese farmers were cutting corners to cope with rising costs for feed and labor.
"Before the melamine incident, I know they could have been adding organic stuff, say animal urine or skin," said Chen Lianfang of Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultant Co. "Basically, anything that can boost the protein reading."
But he and others expressed skepticism that so many farmers would know to add melamine to milk. The chemical is not water-soluble and must be mixed with formaldehyde or another chemical before it can be dissolved in milk.
"Farmers can't be well-educated enough to think of melamine," Chen said. "There must be people from chemical companies contacting them and telling them it's a good idea." China's food safety crisis widened Friday after the industrial chemical melamine was found in milk produced by three of the count... more -
Democratic Zoolander
Posting hilarious gif, which is old by internet standards but whatev
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Police officer left gun in Starbucks toilet
A police officer left a gun in the toilets of a Starbucks branch in central London where it was found by a member of the public.
The female officer concerned has now been removed from operational duties while an investigation is carried out. The pistol was eventually linked to her when police compared its serial number to those logged at a police armoury.
A Met Police spokesman said: "A police-issue firearm was left unattended in a central London cafe on 29 August and was found by a member of the public. The weapon belongs to a Metropolitan Police authorised firearms officer who was on duty at the time."
An investigation is being carried out by the force's Directorate of Professional Standards. A police officer left a gun in the toilets of a Starbucks branch in central London where it was found by a member of the public. ... more -
Political joyride
I don't know where this came from, originally, but it's mesmerizing.
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Mini Black Gold
Coffee sales are booming on the high street... so why are coffee farmers giving up the trade? This is a unique short cut of the powerful feature documentary Black Gold. Coffee sales are booming on the high street... so why are coffee farmers giving up the trade? This is a unique short cut of the powerf... more
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Starbucks tries to keep a "Caffinated America".
Starbucks' afternoon drink deal goes nationwide - CNN.com
NEW YORK (AP) -- Looking to bring more value-seeking consumers through its doors for a late afternoon caffeine fix, Starbucks Corp. said it will now offer its morning customers any iced grande beverage for $2 after 2 p.m.
The price is a big cut from the normal price of most grande-sized iced drinks. A grande iced latte, for example, costs about $4. To get the discount, customers must present a receipt from their morning Starbucks visit.
The promotion was previously only offered in Seattle, Chicago and Miami. The company said it is taking it nationwide beginning Tuesday to answer consumers' calls for more value at the chain, which has seen traffic drop as gas prices rise and consumer spending falters. It runs until Sept. 2.
"I think we've kind of hit the nail on the head," said Brad Stevens, vice president of customer relationship management. "It's easy for baristas to implement and it's easy for customers to understand."
Follow link for full article.
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So what' your verdict? Does the $2 slash make you want to go back after work for another boost of the 'ffine? Or do you realize that $6 a day for coffee isn't any better than $8? What say you? Starbucks' afternoon drink deal goes nationwide - CNN.com ... more -
Starbucks left with nasty taste in mouth...
The mighty Starbucks coffee empire has been handed a heavy defeat by thousands of small Australian cafes in the fight for a nation's taste buds.
Eight years after it began selling its espressos and frappucinos in Australia, the US giant has succumbed to powerful financial and cultural pressures and has closed 61 of its 85 shops across the country.
"It was maybe too standardised," says Michael Edwardson, a consumer psychologist in Melbourne.
"Early on it was unique and different, but as it became a global chain the standardisation made it lose some of that coolness and edginess. It was quickly copied and lost its lustre.
While the company is blaming underperforming stores, analysts say it expanded its operations in Australia too quickly and accumulated too much debt. The mighty Starbucks coffee empire has been handed a heavy defeat by thousands of small Australian cafes in the fight for a nation... more -
Starbucks offers free refills to beat credit crunch
Starbucks is offering free refills, raising the prospect of a 'coffee war’ among high street drinks chains.
The chain is offering a complimentary cup of filter coffee to all customers who buy a hot drink in the UK and Ireland in a bid to stem the exodus of customers during the credit crisis.
The offer will run indefinitely, and is likely to put pressure on rivals such as Costa Coffee and Cafe Nero to follow suit, as customers continue to tighten their belts.
In a statement, Starbucks said the policy is aiming to “engage the customer with the coffee experience”.
The firm, which has 670 branches in Britain, is suffering along with the rest of the high street as consumers economise by avoiding unnecessary luxuries.
In May the chain admitted for the first time that sales in Britain were softening.
The company’s problems had been limited to its 11,434 outlets in America, where it had to close 600 outlets.
How much do you spend on coffee and food and drink in a day? Have you had to start spending less as the credit crunch has hit? Will moves like this be helpful to you? What 'luxuries' are you starting to cut back on, or are you still spending as freely as ever? And what 'luxuries' counldn't you do without? Starbucks is offering free refills, raising the prospect of a 'coffee war’ among high street drinks chains. ... more -
Starbucks to shut majority of its Australian stores
Iconic US coffee chain Starbucks said Tuesday it would shut most of its Australian stores within a week, having already taken the axe to hundreds of US outlets as an economic downturn bites.
The company said it would shut 61 "underperforming" stores from a total 84 in Australia because it was refocusing to concentrate on the major cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and surrounding areas.
"This decision will result in the closure of 61 underperforming locations throughout the country by August 3," it said without detailing how many jobs would be lost, although media reports put the figure at 685.
Starbucks said earlier in July that it would shut 600 US stores in a move widely taken to reflect the slowdown in the world's biggest economy, where high fuel prices and a credit crunch are forcing consumers to tighten their belts.
The giant coffee chain's chairman Howard Schultz said the firm had developed a transformation plan in January that had led to the "difficult but necessary" decision to close stores in Australia.
Schultz said in a statement the decision to shut the stores reflected problems specific to the country and did not reflect "the strong state of Starbucks business in countries outside of the United States."
"There are no other international markets that need to be addressed in this manner," he said. His statement reportedly followed a key telephone discussion between Starbucks executives in Australia and the United States.
Starbucks opened its first Australian store in 2000 but faced competition in some of the country's more cosmopolitan cities from an existing cafe culture.
"We would like to thank all of our customers for your continued patronage and support during the past eight years," the company said.
Starbucks added it would "reach out" to customers hit by the store closures by directing them to its Australian website and a customer care hotline.
The firm is scheduled to announce earnings figures later this week, according to its international website. A list of the Australian stores to be shut is due to be available from the close of business Thursday.
In April, the coffee chain revealed net earnings slipped 28 percent to 108.7 million US dollars in the three months to March.
Starbucks opened its first store in the northwest US city of Seattle in 1971, taking its name from a character in Herman Melville's famous whaling novel "Moby Dick."
The firm had more than 16,000 stores by last April, offering items like frothy lattes, European-style macchiatos and syrupy Frappuccinos at prices some describe as expensive. Iconic US coffee chain Starbucks said Tuesday it would shut most of its Australian stores within a week, having already taken the axe ... more -
Fla. officer fired for demanding free coffee
An internal affairs report says a Daytona Beach police officer demanded free coffee and tea from a Starbucks and threatened employees with slower emergency response times if they refused.
Lt. Major Garvin, a 15-year veteran, was fired July 8. According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Chief Mike Chitwood says Garvin recently failed a polygraph test that he insisted on taking.
The coffeehouse's employees claim that since June 2007, Garvin had visited the store as many as six times a night while on duty. Besides demanding free drinks, workers complained that Garvin also cut in front of paying customers.
A telephone listing for Garvin could not be found. An internal affairs report says a Daytona Beach police officer demanded free coffee and tea from a Starbucks and threatened employees ... more -
Starbucks Mocha Latte Overkill
It's no real surprise to why Starbucks is closing 600 stores.
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Police officer fired for demanding free coffee
An internal affairs report says a Daytona Beach police officer demanded free coffee and tea from a Starbucks and threatened employees with slower emergency response times if they refused.
Lt. Major Garvin, a 15-year veteran, was fired July 8. According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Chief Mike Chitwood says Garvin recently failed a polygraph test that he insisted on taking.
The coffeehouse's employees claim that since June 2007, Garvin had visited the store as many as six times a night while on duty. Besides demanding free drinks, workers complained that Garvin also cut in front of paying customers. An internal affairs report says a Daytona Beach police officer demanded free coffee and tea from a Starbucks and threatened employees ... more -
Cities, customers launch 'save our Starbucks' efforts
"Now that Starbucks Corp. has disclosed the 600 locations it wants to shutter, a phenomenon is taking hold: the Save Our Starbucks campaign.
In towns as small as Bloomfield, N.M., and metropolises as large as New York, customers and city officials are starting to write letters, place phone calls, circulate petitions and otherwise plead with the coffee giant to change its mind.
'Now that it's going away, we're devastated,' said Kate Walker, a facilities manager for SunGard Financial Systems, a software company, who recently learned of a store closing in New York City.
It's an unusual twist in the saga of Starbucks, one of the fastest growing retailers of the past decade. For years, Starbucks gained attention when a town didn't welcome it. Independent coffee shops complained about the big-muscled competition, and residents bemoaned the erosion of local character.
But ever since Starbucks announced this month that it would close 600 stores by early next year, as its business struggles, the rallying cause has switched to saving these endangered locations."
Full story at link by Janet Adamy and Anna Prior "Now that Starbucks Corp. has disclosed the 600 locations it wants to shutter, a phenomenon is taking hold: the Save Our Starbuck... more -
Brighton residents stand up to Starbucks: Starbucks launches illegally anyway
Protests will be taking place this weekend in the quirky seaside town of Brighton to protest against the opening of yet another Starbucks, despite the company being refused planning permission to trade. Starbucks just moved in and started trading anyway!
Anti-homogenisation campaigners say, "When you think of Brighton, what springs to mind: the Pavilion, the Palace Pier, the Lanes? Visitors to our lovely city seek out our famous independent businesses; the locally owned restaurants, cafes and unique boutiques, which make our city such a great place to live and desirable destination to visit.
St James Street in Kemp Town plays an important role in our city with a collection of popular and renowned coffee bars, restaurants, shops and pubs as well as an annual carnival and a genuine ‘village’ feeling with a strong sense of community.
While the area isn’t perfect and has its problems (drug use, homelessness and occasional alcohol-fuelled violence) the solution to those issues lies in the Council and the community working together to resolve them, not in bland gentrification. If you look at the areas of Brighton where we have most alcohol-related issues, you’ll find most of them are close to large supermarkets (London Road) or big chain pubs (West Street).
Some claim that because St James Street already has some chain stores that one more won’t make a difference. Well, Western Road, at one point, was full of locally owned businesses all putting money back into the local community. Slowly, the chain supermarkets, cafes and stores took over, raising rents and making it virtually impossible for anyone other than more chains to open. We mustn’t let that happen on St James Street.
Starbucks have been refused planning permission by the Council. However, they have decided to open and start trading anyway, exploiting the lax enforcement policy of the Council when it comes to large companies with big pockets. Although according to some of the local independent businesses, it does seem to be one rule for Starbucks and another for the rest of us.
The principal legal issue is that yet another coffee shop on St James Street would be against the Local Plan, which explicitly says that the area needs to have a predominance of A1 stores ie retail rather than A3 which are cafes and restaurants.
Nearly five hundred letters of objection to their application were sent to the Planning Department, and a Facebook group called ‘Stop Starbucks Opening on St James Street’ now has over 1,700 members including local residents and business owners, all joined in the effort to prevent Starbucks’ invasion of our neighbourhood.
For those that just have to have a ‘Frappucino’ we already have six branches of the chain in Brighton & Hove. This is not about denying consumers’ choice, but about protecting our high streets and not losing that which makes our lovely city unique. The council have spoken and so have the local community. Starbucks should listen."
Join the Facebook group, tell all your friends or, even better, turn up for the protest on St James' Street, Brighton, BN2 on Saturday at 11am.
Will the protestors' campaign have any effect, if Starbucks have just been able to sweep in unhindered up to now? Will Brighton be a lesser city if chain businesses take over from local companies? Are we all sick of the anti-Starbucks brigade, or are we sick of Starbucks itself? Protests will be taking place this weekend in the quirky seaside town of Brighton to protest against the opening of yet another Starbu... more
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