I went to one in a TARGET today, and asked about the sink, and they said that one drained. SO now I don't know which is right, or if it's because that one was in a TARGET or what. I is confused.
Constantly running AND down the drain. Not what I wanted to hear. Okay, topic back open again. I think there needs to be an investigation in the U.S. as to what the law is, does it make sense healthwise and conservationwise and what exactly does not only Starbucks but other businesses do? Because if it *is* as The Sun describes, that is a LOT of water being wasted.
Alright, all this speculating and back-n-forth has gone on long enough. Everyone follow this link and ask: Contact Form Provide a link to this thread if you want. If they get enough inquiries all at once perhaps they'll not only provide the ACTUAL answer here but maybe even reconsider their policy. Write them. I dare you!
Nice find, Godiva. I personally only drink shade grown, organic, dark roast (other roasts upset my stomach) coffee so I am excluded from even considering a Starbucks blend but my husband enjoys their coffee to the extent that he frequents Starbucks. I do, however, sometimes enjoy a hot chocolate when my husband wants to stop there on the weekends. Because water conservation ranks in my top ten personal priorities, I've e mailed Starbucks and received a reply that's ambiguous (not surprisingly) about this practice. Here's a clip/paste: Thank you for contacting Starbucks. We recognize that the dipper well system and the subsequent amount of water that is used by the system is an issue that needs immediate attention. We are working to address this issue. Starbucks challenge is to balance water conservation with the need for customer safety. The dipper well is an effective and proven system to rinse away food and liquid residue. It helps keep utensils clean and prevents bacterial growth, ensuring we meet or exceed our own and local health standards, which is our priority. We are working to find alternative solutions to help minimize water use while complying with food safety regulatory requirements and we are actively evaluating several solutions. We are committed to phasing in new practices as they are proven safe and effective. If you have any further questions or concerns, please email us via www.starbucks.com/customer/contact.asp or call (800)-235-2883 to speak with a customer relations representative. Best Regards, Tim G. Customer Relations Starbucks Coffee Company I've emailed them back for a better explanation of what their "dipper well system" is. If they in fact run water, which I'm assuming they do based on the fact that they didn't deny this in their reply, I will no longer get my hot chocolate from there any longer. I'll also tell my husband about this, though I don't think it'll dissuade him from going there. And much as I'd like to demand he does, I don't force my own beliefs on others. Or should I start getting better at this? If I get a return reply that provides a more thorough explanation of their water use practices, I'll try to post back.
Wow! Glad they responded to you... but can't believe the response. As was said earlier about filtering the water, that at least sounds like a good compromise and possible with very little investment. It amazes me that they continually allow water to run down the drain for the at least 15 hours per day that each Starbucks is open. I'd be curious to see if anyone would participate in a boycott. Many of the clientele that frequent these establishments would likely be the folks that would typically stage a boycott based on environmental concerns. Mike
Perhaps where you are, but around here the clientele I witness park in the FIRE LANE and leave the Escalade idling as they stand in line. Or better yet, use the drive thru!
Interesting that the wording is exactly the same as that sent to SSimon, so it appears that they have a form letter on the issue. From this, I feel that the issue has been raised with them a number of time to the point that they have crafted a generic reply. Whether they are actually doing anything to avoid using the dipper well system or save water is another question.
Easy access to water in the UK is different than here in So Cal. Seldom are there 'hosepipe' restrictions in a land that has abundant rain. Wasting water? In the strict sense, water isn't wasted because it serves to flush the sewers, and eventually it goes back into the sky (evaporation) and back again as rain. It's the electricity (provided by fossle fuels for the most part) that gets wasted. But no, not all coffee joints leave the tap on. My one & only daughter's hubby is an assistant manager at one of them back in Nashville. Their Starbucks isn't running according to him. Where I do most of my work, we get $5 Starbucks 'attaboy' cards (at Disney), and on occasion I get one. Only then, have I indulged in Starbucks. Suger? Too much sugar? Too expensive? Uh, the $5 card gets me a buck left over after ordering two (different day orders) large black house coffees. I don't know, $2 a piece doesn't seem too bad, and the high sugar is only if you order it that way right? I know they use reverse osmosis to get good flavor increased in their coffee. Maybe they can find a way to run that 2nd hand water back through the reverse osmosis? They say RO is THAT efficient at purification. Probably sounds too yucky.
I asked DH, who used to work at Baskin Robbins. They always had a tap running... same thing... dipper well. How many ice cream places have this? Why is it always Starbucks that people yell about?
I hope your ready to stop going out to most restaurants. I've seen this dripper system used in many restaurants. I've also seen many more restaurants being less environmentally friendly. I think it's good Sbux is acknowledging the issue and hopefully do something about. More than what most restaurants will do.
The running of water is health department rule, Probably for the same reason you defrost frozen meats in a sink with cold water running. The reason proably has to do with bacteria formation. If you use an untensil you need to wash it before the next use, but if it is running water and the same type of use it does not need to be washed. If Starbucks wants to stop this waste they need to find another way of storing there untensils for serving.
Both of the examples you've provided are breeding grounds for bacteria. You don't defrost anything in a sink of running water. You defrost it in the refrigerator. BTW it's one day for every 5 lbs of frozen turkey so your Thanksgiving dinner will spend 2-3 days in the fridge to be defrosted properly. As for the running water...that's the equivalent of the 5 second rule. Running water is not washing. You need detergent or bleach or some other chemical. And you don't need running water for that. And same use has nothing to do with it. No washing equals cross contamination even if it is same use. Because you've served with it. I'd like to see someone post the "health dept rule" either Federal or State of California for this.
Tap water's got chlorine in it (Denver water has lots of Cl). If you're constantly cycling the water through it's probably got some antiseptic aspect to it. Don't know how much and it probably varies between municipalities.
Retailers run water and many have drive-throughs that encourage idling. When you double your efficiency, you cut cost by one-half and potentially double your profit. Time is overdue to eliminate running taps and vehicle idling. Even when water is unlimited it still takes energy to move the water. I patronize Starbucks for the used coffee grounds for our garden, not for the beverages (sold in polystyrene cups that do not recycle).
I wouldn't put anything I want to ingest in a sink for defrosting. Sinks are breeding grounds for bacteria. They can be a worse breeding ground than toilets.
