Starsucks

Poor Starbucks, taking the blows again simply because it's the corporate coffee giant everyone loves to hate. In defense of Starbucks (whose coffee I, too, enjoy) I could have replaced the Starbucks cup with a Dunkin’ Donuts, Peet’s, Panera Bread – take your pick. All of these cups end up in the trash rather than the local recycling center. But Starbucks deserves the ribbing for its hypocritical marketing propaganda. 

Starbucks likes to make its consumers “feel good” by placing uplifting, pat-on-the back messages on its paper beverage cups such as, “you are way-cool for buying coffee in a cup from a way-cool corporation.”

Well, hows-about putting a few recycling bins in each of your stores so the pat on the back will lead to a recycled plastic cover and paper cup? This will dip into profits, it seems, or this self-proclaimed eco-conscious company would start doing “the little things” that make big changes possible.

And “YOU.” The lazy consumer. Hows-about getting your coffee in a mug from the Starbucks counter if you’re just going to type away on your laptop or text your friends for the next hour? (Notice I didn’t suggest you bring your own mug to Starbucks. Heavens, that’s too burdensome!)

And if BYOM is indeed too difficult for the on-the-go American consumer, perhaps when you get your venti double-pump whatever to-go, consider recycling the paper cup and plastic top at home.

GASP! Leave that dirty empty cup in my car or office? No, no, no. I will dump-it in the nearest trash receptacle. At least I’m not littering!

Truthfully, it’s not the corporations we have to blame. If we are genuinely concerned about the environment we all share, then it’s our fault for being lazy and apathetic.