Starbucks certifies first five UK stores as ‘greener’

The certification has been awarded to coffee shops at Battersea Power Station, London; Selly Oak, Birmingham; Prospect Place, Darfford; Gallions Reach, Beckton, and Capital Shopping Park, Cardiff. In order to...


Starbucks certifies first five UK stores as ‘greener’

Pictured: The Starbucks inside Battersea Power Station

The certification has been awarded to coffee shops at Battersea Power Station, London; Selly Oak, Birmingham; Prospect Place, Darfford; Gallions Reach, Beckton, and Capital Shopping Park, Cardiff.

In order to certify, stores need to meet 25 environmental criteria and verify its performance against these with an external auditor. The scheme covers energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste management, renewable energy use and the use of more sustainable materials.

It also covers how staff are engaged to ensure day-to-day practices are lower in negative impact. In North America, several stores use a dedicated app walking staff through how best to recycle or compost food waste and how to redistribute surplus food through partner platforms.

Additionally covered in Starbucks’ ‘Greener Stores’ framework is the impact of a store on the local community.

In the US, certified stores have contributed to a reduction of some $60m in annual operating costs when compared to historic store practices.

Starbucks has certified 3,500 stores as ‘greener’ to date, with the majority in the US. To meet its target of certifying 10,000 stores by 2025, it is seeking to accelerate the scheme in the EMEA region. It will also build all new stores in the Latin America and Caribbean region to the Greener Stores framework by the end of 2023.

“With a company of Starbucks scale – any one action, no matter how small, has the potential for massive impact,” said the firm’s chief sustainability officer Michael Kobori. “I’m so proud to see our Greener Stores framework continue to scale for good globally. The program we have created will continue to move us closer towards our resource positive goals.”

Kobori is referring, here, to goals set by Starbucks in 2020 with a 2030 deadline. They entail the halving of carbon emissions, water use and waste sent to landfill, as well as a longer-term vision to store more carbon than emitted, replenish freshwater and eliminate waste.

Sector-wide shifts

Starbucks is one of several food and drink businesses to have unveiled improvements to store or restaurant sustainability in recent times.

Last week, US-headquartered multinational Chipotle Mexican Grill published a new blueprint for ‘responsible restaurant design’ and confirmed plans to develop more than 100 stores following this framework by the end of next year.

Across the Atlantic, British bakery chain Greggs confirmed that it has incorporated elements from its own ‘eco-shop’ design to 250 locations, and is aiming to reach 400 locations by the end of 2023 – equivalent to around one-fifth of its portfolio of stores. Elements include heat pumps, air curtains, solar control glass and water-saving taps and toilets.

Last month, Domino’s Pizza Group opened a new ‘low-carbon’ store in London which is fitted with heat pumps, thermal curtains and other energy efficiency features. Its delivery drivers are using e-bikes and its energy will be 100% renewable electricity.

Comments (1)

  1. Ian Byrne says:

    I presume that Greener stores no longer provide hot drinks in single use cups? Otherwise, it has to be Greenwashier not Greener!

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