Environmentalists blast Starbucks for wasting water

Britain’s National Enquirer style tabloid, The Sun, reports on alleged water wasting at Starbucks stores in the UK as well as around the globe.

The article is called The great drain robbery.

The giant coffee chain has a policy of keeping a tap running non-stop at all its 10,000 outlets worldwide, wasting 23.4 million liters a day.

Every Starbucks branch has a cold tap behind the counter providing water for a sink called a “dipper well”, used for washing spoons and utensils.

Staff are banned from turning the water off under bizarre health and safety rules — bosses claim a constant flow stops germs breeding in the taps.

Starbucks defends itself against wasting water claims by environmentalists.

The company says the flow services a “dipper well”, used for keeping utensils clean, and that the taps run at very low pressure.

Link here for the Sun story. Starbucks rebuttal is here.