Starbucks makes commitment to enact major changes at its stores: 'A big step forward'

Starbucks has become a U.S. Food Waste Pact member, amping up the company's commitment to stopping food waste.

In February, Chain Store Age reported on the major coffee chain's joining the pact, which is an initiative between ReFED and the World Wildlife Fund. The U.S. Food Waste Pact is an agreement with businesses to assess operational food waste data. Once opportunities to reduce food waste are identified, companies can find innovative solutions and enact intervention projects.

This is not Starbucks' only effort toward decreasing its food waste. In 2016, it launched its FoodShare initiative. Since then, it's saved over 75 million pounds of food from going to waste. It's also donated over 63 million meals to those in need.

Furthermore, it's researching ways to produce coffee more sustainably on its Hacienda Alsacia, a company-operated farm.

According to the Department of Agriculture, 30-40% of the country's food supply goes to waste. That's approximately 133 billion pounds of food worth $161 billion in 2010. This is why it's crucial for major companies to join the U.S. Food Waste Pact. It will help us better understand the magnitude of our food waste and find new ways to decrease it.

Food waste reduces the overall food supply, which can increase consumer costs. But wasting food when so many are hungry is the biggest concern. According to Feeding America, more than 47 million people in America experience food insecurity. When major companies reduce food waste, more people in the United States can eat well.

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Starbucks' goal is to cut food waste in its U.S. operations by 50% by 2030.

Food waste also contributes to climate change. The waste ends up in landfills, where it emits heat-trapping gases that warm the planet. It substantially depletes resources, such as water, when so much of the food supply is lost.

"Having Starbucks as a signatory of the U.S. Food Waste Pact is a big step forward for the [quick service restaurant] subsector," Jackie Suggitt, vice president of business initiatives and community engagement at ReFED, said. "Starbucks is an industry leader, especially when it comes to food donation and the example that their FoodShare program is setting. Food waste happens across the supply chain, and targeting the QSR subsector broadens our impact and action in reducing food waste systemwide."

Perhaps Starbucks will motivate other companies to follow in its footsteps and reduce food waste.