Its chain of coffeeshops wastes 23m litres of water daily by leaving taps on all day.
STARBUCKS has landed itself in hot water after environmental experts discovered that the American coffee shop chain is pouring millions of litres of precious water down the drain at its coffee shops every day.
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, said media reports.
Starbucks bosses claim the constant flow of water stops germs breeding in the taps.
Starbucks has built up a massive chain, popular with coffee drinkers from Hollywood stars to builders, and proudly boasts of its work for the environment.
But water companies accused the firm of harming the environment by frittering away a vital natural resource. And the claim that running taps are needed for hygiene reasons was dismissed by experts as ‘nonsense’.
In Britain, Starbucks has 698 branches, each open for 13 hours a day. Even a slow flowing tap spurts out at least three litres of water a minute, meaning UK Starbucks are wasting an estimated 1.63 million litres a day. That is the daily water requirement for a town the size of Matlock, Derbyshire.
And water shortage is seen as one of the major problems facing the world.
Bahrain’s environmentalists are now calling for action - saying the country’s limited water supply is too precious to go down the drain.
They have also criticised the practice since the country’s water supplies are heavily subsidised by the government, meaning the public’s money is also being wasted.
Arabian Gulf University water resource management professor and vice-president Dr Waleed Zubari said it was wrong for Starbucks to make money at the expense of the environment.
‘If we are subsidising this water, not only Starbucks, but other restaurants that over-consume should pay for it,’ he said.
‘The government should subsidise drinking water and not water used commercially.’
Starbucks has nine outlets in Bahrain.
Starbucks’ tap policy came to light after a couple wrote to a British tabloid to complain after spotting a tap left running at their local branch.
Ms Lisa Woolfe, 39, of Cuffley, Hertfordshire told The Sun, ‘I noticed a small sink behind the counter had its tap running. The assistant said the store was told to keep its tap running because it cleaned the pipes.’
‘I could not believe it but when we contacted head office, they confirmed that the taps were left on and the water was not recycled.
It is an absolutely astonishing waste of water, especially for a company which prides itself on its green credentials.’
Mr Peter Robinson, of environmental charity Waste Watch, said, ‘Leaving taps running all day is a shocking waste of precious water.’
But Starbucks insisted leaving taps running is the most environmentally friendly way to clean its spoons, which are mostly covered in milk residue.
A spokesman said, ‘We would welcome the opportunity to discuss ways to improve the policy with anyone who believes there is a way of doing that.’
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Starbucks in Hot Water
7 October 2008
Its chain of coffeeshops wastes 23m litres of water daily by leaving taps on all day.
STARBUCKS has landed itself in hot water after environmental experts discovered that the American coffee shop chain is pouring millions of litres of precious water down the drain at its coffee shops every day.
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, said media reports.
Starbucks bosses claim the constant flow of water stops germs breeding in the taps.
Starbucks has built up a massive chain, popular with coffee drinkers from Hollywood stars to builders, and proudly boasts of its work for the environment.
But water companies accused the firm of harming the environment by frittering away a vital natural resource. And the claim that running taps are needed for hygiene reasons was dismissed by experts as ‘nonsense’.
In Britain, Starbucks has 698 branches, each open for 13 hours a day. Even a slow flowing tap spurts out at least three litres of water a minute, meaning UK Starbucks are wasting an estimated 1.63 million litres a day. That is the daily water requirement for a town the size of Matlock, Derbyshire.
And water shortage is seen as one of the major problems facing the world.
Bahrain’s environmentalists are now calling for action - saying the country’s limited water supply is too precious to go down the drain.
They have also criticised the practice since the country’s water supplies are heavily subsidised by the government, meaning the public’s money is also being wasted.
Arabian Gulf University water resource management professor and vice-president Dr Waleed Zubari said it was wrong for Starbucks to make money at the expense of the environment.
‘If we are subsidising this water, not only Starbucks, but other restaurants that over-consume should pay for it,’ he said.
‘The government should subsidise drinking water and not water used commercially.’
Starbucks has nine outlets in Bahrain.
Starbucks’ tap policy came to light after a couple wrote to a British tabloid to complain after spotting a tap left running at their local branch.
Ms Lisa Woolfe, 39, of Cuffley, Hertfordshire told The Sun, ‘I noticed a small sink behind the counter had its tap running. The assistant said the store was told to keep its tap running because it cleaned the pipes.’
‘I could not believe it but when we contacted head office, they confirmed that the taps were left on and the water was not recycled.
It is an absolutely astonishing waste of water, especially for a company which prides itself on its green credentials.’
Mr Peter Robinson, of environmental charity Waste Watch, said, ‘Leaving taps running all day is a shocking waste of precious water.’
But Starbucks insisted leaving taps running is the most environmentally friendly way to clean its spoons, which are mostly covered in milk residue.
A spokesman said, ‘We would welcome the opportunity to discuss ways to improve the policy with anyone who believes there is a way of doing that.’
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