You might have noticed the new lids at most Starbucks locations. Currently, you would have to order a cold foam cold brew to receive your drink with the special, straw-less lid. But, the change in the lid shape will be standard by 2020 according to the “Starbucks Greener Stores Initiative”.
It seems to be the Starbucks method: appeal the Millenials. As I mentioned in last week’s post, Starbucks does everything possible to stay current with political correctness and societal norms. Now, as seen in the recent climate strikes and media stories, the Earth is a hot topic in the teens and young adults populations.
But straw-less lids were just the first–and probably most noticeable–step that Starbucks has taken for a greener future. The brand hopes to make up the amount of electricity used in its stores through solar and wind power. It also hopes to decrease power and water usage while lowering waste and locally sourcing its products.
Though this movement for sustainable businesses does not belong to Starbucks, they are leading the force. If you think back to last year when the company announced its removal of straws from its franchises, straws had not yet been so massively thought of as environmentally unfriendly. But now almost everyone wants or has metal straws, and the campaign “Save the Turtles” (a no-straw campaign) has flooded Instagram.
By acknowledging climate change, Starbucks has not only become socially relevant to a wider pool of people, but it remains the company of the people. None of its competitors have publicly announced major renovations to their business model for the sake of sustainability like Starbucks has. According to The Motley Fool article, Keurig has come under fire for K-cups not being recyclable. Being proactive, Starbucks has made the necessary changes and continues to win over the Millenial demographic because of it.
This is not to say that Starbucks will not make money from these changes. In fact, there is a whole market made for high-value, sustainable companies. Starbucks is now a part of it according to Fortune. As stated in the article, Starbucks’ sustainable efforts will “create more customer and investor loyalty and sell even more coffee now and in the future.”
However, the money Starbucks will make from their investment in sustainability should not deter coffee drinkers from consuming the company’s products. First, Starbucks sells a lot of coffee. If their drinks are eco-friendly, that will have a great impact simply because of the breadth of their consumer base. Second, Starbucks is doing good by the environment. To positively affect the environment, it takes mass effort. Starbucks has found a way that they can help fight climate change. Finally, Starbucks has a large footprint on society and the environment in more ways than one. Since it uses so much water, electricity, and materials, it has a large ecological footprint. By removing their footprint, it could have great effects within our environment. Moreover, Starbucks has proven that it influences major social trends. Using its power for good, Starbucks can enact change within their company and the people who consume its drinks.
The “Greener Initiative” will be completed in 2025. Keep a lookout for changes to Starbucks stores and products in these coming years!
I honestly love reading your blog. You are doing such a great job analyzing the effect that Starbucks has on our culture. I feel that in order to inspire our generation to purchase products, companies have to become more Eco-friendly. A great example of this would be the recent movement you mentioned, “Save the Turtles.” I don’t think I opened up Instagram this past summer without seeing one of those ‘VSCO’ girl memes. While the trend got a bit annoying, I think it is refreshing to see our society take a more active approach in raising awareness for climate change. The fact that Starbucks is taking a step to reducing their carbon footprint is a great sign, and I hope many other companies take similar action.