Environmental and Social Issues - Starbucks

Environmental and Social Issues - Starbucks
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Environmental and Social Issues - Starbucks
Starbucks mainly deals in the purchasing, roasting, and selling of coffee, in addition to a variety of beverages that include tea and food items. Established in 1985, the company boasts of a wide network of branches that traverse the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, North America America, Asia, and Europe. In this review, the environmental and social issues that the company, alongside its competitors (Blue Bottle, Dunkin, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s) are involved in will be highlighted, followed by a deeper review of Starbucks’ environmental and social issues.
Blue Bottle
Blue Bottle’s social issues include contributing to the communities through its partnership with Nestle, partnering with local organizations that support vulnerable groups, through such organizations having a share of the sale proceeds, securing a display stand inside Blue Bottle’s café, like the case of Hyde Park Art Center, and providing textiles of a unique nature to the company guests, like The Weaving Mill (Bluebottlecoffee.com, n.d.). Environmental sustainability starts with the sourcing of its coffee. It deals with verified producers who comply with human rights, quality and safety of the product, integrity in business, conditions of housing, and international labor laws, among others.
The management of emissions and waste has seen the company initiate programs such as the promotion of beneficial agriculture, which involves the support of growing of climate-resilient produce, a switch from animal milk to plant-based milk in some of the stores, work towards carbon neutrality by 2024 in the areas of waste, electricity consumption, etc., working towards bringing its waste to zero in their facilities, encouraging customers to come along with their cups to cut on waste from disposable cups, and introducing its environmental sustainability approach to Nestle through their partnership with Nestle.
Dunkin
The social pillar has seen Dunkin support organizations whose efforts are geared towards the profitability of coffee farmers, coffee sector sustainability, improvement of the labor conditions, gender equity, and research in coffee, like World Coffee Research, the Labor Action Network Initiative, and The Partnership for Gender Equity’s Virtual Learning Journey. It has made donations to victims of natural disasters in countries like Honduras and Nicaragua. Its environmental issues include donating to the One Tree Planted for tree planting worldwide to better the environment.
In addition, to preserve the environment, it has embraced sustainability in sourcing palm oil, support of social responsibilities of the dairy community, and the use of environmentally-friendly cups, packaging, straws, and stirrers (Dunkindonuts.com. n.d.). Subsequently, the launch of Green Achievement restaurants has seen a reduction in energy use by around 33%. To advance sustainable climate and energy, the company has sought the services of consultants to measure the levels of greenhouse gas emissions and energy from its corporate headquarters, and there is evide...