I’d love to blame Starbucks for everything. I like the idea of an “evil empire” that is responsible for all the bad things that happen in this world, like BP, GM and the GOP. Maybe it’s the Catholic in me—the Devil made me do it, and all that. But if I do get up on my soapbox and preach about corporate corruption and how their greed is bringing about the end of the world, as a Catholic, I would feel obliged to go to confession and admit my part in the whole vicious circle. I do buy their coffee, after all.

For years, Starbucks has claimed to be a friend to the environment, but “grounds for your garden” just isn’t good enough. The amount of paper and plastic cups, not to mention lids, napkins and stirrers, that go through a Starbucks store each day is phenomenal. And if all those products go straight to the landfills…thousands of cups times thousands of stores times thousands of days…well, you do the math.

When it comes down to it, it’s actually economically beneficial for Starbucks to go green. I really doubt that the discount they give you for bringing in your own mug covers the entire cost of cup, lid, sleeve and all that. They’re already making money off their green customers. Plus, reduce garbage costs through people taking away their used coffee grounds for them, and add to that the savings from recyclable waste vs. actual garbage costs, there’s another financial incentive. It’s a wonder they didn’t get on the bandwagon sooner.

It’s no secret that packaging is one of the most wasteful practices that exist today. By dressing things up, they tend to sell better, and who can blame a business for trying to make a buck? But how much packaging is enough, and how much is too much? You’ve got to serve that coffee in something, and whether it’s paper or plastic or whatever else they come up with next, waste will be generated. The solution, of course, is a reusable container. But who wants to pay $19.99 for a frilly-looking mug, let alone carry the thing with you every where you go? Not this coffee drinker, I can assure you. Not until today, at any rate.

I’ll admit that since I first started resenting Starbucks’ lack of “green-ness” they have improved somewhat. Within the last month or so, the company has actually taken a big step forward in going green. Most stores now boast waste containers that have separate compartments for “recyclables” and “compostables.” But every time I look inside, I see pretty much the same things in both sections: cups, lids, napkins, loogies, and whatever else is involved in the elaborate process of drinking a cup of coffee. I wonder if it’s all psychological, or if there actually are recycling and garbage bins in the back of the store… One thing I’m pretty sure of, though, is that nobody at Starbucks is getting paid enough to sort through the garbage.

For years, local independent coffee shops have been doing the recycling thing. I’m not sure if it’s worked any better for them than it has for the corporate coffee colossus, but isn’t it the thought that counts? As long as Victrola or Fiore or Ladro offer their clients the option of recycling, aren’t they doing their part? Maybe, maybe not. Because as long as customers continue to mix recyclables with compostables, there’s obviously something missing.

That “something” could very well be education. Despite the fact that, in Starbucks at any rate, the waste bins are well-labeled, even including images of what goes where (for those of us who don’t read), cups and lids still find their way into the compostable compartment and people still hock loogies into the recycling bin. Would a polite tip by an employee or a poster above the waste receptacles describing in detail what goes where be enough to educate clients on the benefits of recycling vs. the drawbacks of wastefulness? One would like to think so, but I really doubt it.

It would be easy to claim that people are just plain stupid, but I would rather give everybody the benefit of the doubt and state that people are just plain lazy—or they just plain don’t care. Of course, Starbucks would never be so bold as to accuse their customers of stupidity, laziness or even carelessness, but the fact remains that despite their best attempts…

What it all comes down to is that the buck stops here. With me. With you. The decision as to whether or not we toss our cups into the right bins or even invest in a reusable mug or tumbler rests on our individual shoulders. I just laid-out $5.99 plus tax in a Starbucks green tumbler (made with 28% recycled material, by the way), and it is my intention to carry it with me pretty much everywhere I go, and by doing so, I am getting an amazing return on my investment.

Not only am I helping save the world, there’s also a little something “in it for me.” If I keep a positive balance on my Starbuck’s card—even a buck’s worth—I can pretty much count on free drip coffee for life. With my reusable tumbler, all I have to do is go up to the counter and ask for a “refill.” Would a Starbucks employee ever dare to question my integrity and claim that this was my first coffee of the day? I really doubt it. They’ll simply fill up my “green” cup, run my card, thank me for being environmentally conscious, and politely wish me a nice day. I will politely thank them, the smile on my face not only because I’ve gone green or because I’m a naturally happy person, but because I just made a buck-sixty-five off Starbucks.

Photo courtesy of Urban Woodswalker

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