Food waste at restaurants and stores is a major issue in the U.S. and around the world. Some waste is inevitable, since food eventually goes bad, but many companies are not overly concerned about how much they throw away, because they see it as a cost of doing business baked into the prices they charge.
Starbucks is often pointed to for this given its massive number of locations across the world, and the concern came up again recently because of its holiday practices.
What's happening?
An employee posted in the r/Starbucks subreddit after an experience that left them in disgust.
"Today was my first time setting up the holiday promo, and I was so shocked by the sheer amount of stuff we threw away," they said in the November post. "... To make room for all the holiday printed stuff, we had to throw away all of our year-round cups (both hot and cold of all sizes), sleeves, big and small shoppers, pastry bags, sandwich bags, and panini bags, just to have space for all the new boxes.
"Not to mention, we replaced every single piece of signage in the store to a slightly darker green."
In a statement to The Cool Down, a Starbucks representative said that the details in the post do not align with what Starbucks asks or expects of its stores when rotating in new products but acknowledged that the company is always keeping an eye out for ways to improve its protocols.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
"At Starbucks, we're focused on making our packaging more sustainable, offering more reusable options, and reducing waste in our stores," the representative said. "That includes clear protocols for how partners handle promotional packaging, signage, and merchandise — like using items until they run out, recycling where services exist, and donating discontinued products whenever possible.
"We work closely with our partners to make this happen, and we're always looking for ways to improve."
Why is wasted Starbucks merchandise important?
While it might not seem like a big deal whether these Starbucks-branded items end up seldom-used in a customer's cupboard or in a landfill, the problem is one of repetition, as the original poster pointed out. "Can't wait to throw out all the Christmas stuff in January!" they said.
As businesses cycle between their ordinary and holiday stock, they generate a huge amount of waste. While some of this comes from the economy of scale that can help to lower prices, the ongoing expense of waste drives up operational costs to be written off, which is typically then baked into the prices for products for both food and merchandise, as is the case as well with shrinkage. Meanwhile, all of that excess plastic involved in most products eventually leads to microplastics that pollute the environment, and the unnecessary manufacturing processes waste materials and energy.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
"Seriously, I felt like such an awful person having to throw it all out," said the original poster. "I guess in a way it was all doomed to be waste in the end regardless."
Is Starbucks doing anything about this?
Starbucks lists many initiatives to make its practices more sustainable on its website, including using less plastic in its cups and investing in reusable cup programs.
However, it doesn't appear to have a publicly posted program for diverting merchandise waste, and it has been criticized in the past for unnecessary food waste in its displays — something the company says it takes seriously by asking its stores to donate edible unsold food that won't be sellable the following day, in partnership with Feeding America in the U.S. and other organizations worldwide.
The Cool Down reached out to Starbucks to ask whether this store's handling of merchandise waste is in compliance with the corporate headquarters' intentions or if those items were supposed to be shipped back or donated in the absence of storage space.
A company representative confirmed that it does not issue any protocols instructing coffeehouses to "throw out" core packaging such as cups and that it should be stored rather than discarded. In the event that is not possible, the representative said, the product should be recycled or composted, depending on what's available, or work with nearby locations to help store items, and any limited-time promotional cups or packaging are supposed to be used until they run out rather than discarded at a specific date.
The representative said similar protocols exist for signage to reduce landfilling those items when discontinued, and that discontinued merchandise items are to be donated unless there is a product recall. Only in that situation would the company ask store locations to outright discard unsold merchandise, the representative said, but they were sure to mention that the company is always looking to improve, including from feedback given by store staff.
"It's made so much of our progress possible — like being the first large retailer to accept reusable personal cups at every order point (drive thru, mobile orders, and in the café), or enabling food donations at scale in 100% of our North America stores, which has helped get over 112 million meals out to communities in need. Our partners play a big role in these efforts, and we make sure they have the tools and guidance they need to succeed."
Some locations may be doing something about this on their own accord, according to another Redditor who replied.
"I had a manager one year take it all home with her for storage then bring it back at end of holiday," they wrote. The original poster praised that act, saying the manager was playing "4D chess." Another Redditor said their manager closes an entire bathroom in the establishment so they can use it for storage.
What can I do about wasteful Starbucks practices?
The best move for the environment and your wallet is to avoid overpriced coffee and snacks entirely.
You can make many of these treats at home using recipes found online for a fraction of the cost — and package them without using plastic. Also, check your local area for coffee shops with more eco-friendly practices.
|
What should the government do about the fast fashion industry?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Set strict regulations 🚫 
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
Cool Picks
