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Starbucks 'wasting 23 million litres of water a day'

Mon Oct 06 10:06AM

Starbucks has today been accused of wasting more than 23 million litres of water every day.

The coffee chain, which prides itself on being green, has a health and safety policy of leaving taps running in all of its 10,000 branches worldwide it has been revealed today.

The company policy prohibits staff from turning off a cold tap behind the counter called a 'dipper well'.

This means that Starbucks is wasting roughly 23.4 million litres of water on a daily basis. That's enough water to quench the thirst of the entire population of drought-stricken Namibia.

In Britain where there are just fewer than 700 branches of the coffee shop, 1.6 million litres are wasted every day.

Starbucks bosses claim that the flow of water stops germs from festering in the taps.

Peter Robinson of environmental charity Waste Water told The Sun: "Leaving taps running all day is a shocking waste of precious water. And to claim you are doing it for health and safety reasons is bonkers."

You can read the full exclusive story from The Sun by clicking here.

Comments41 - 50 of 752

They should be shut down for this

From alanpedge on Mon Oct 06 12:36PM
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starbucks is stupid and their coffee really isn't good... thank you america!

From michael86d on Mon Oct 06 12:36PM
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Oh my gosh! Thankyou for enlightening me about Starbucks. I will never use them again
Thanks guys

From kurtzlich on Mon Oct 06 12:37PM
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What a waste, people are dying in the third world for the want of clean drinking water. As for germs festering in taps perhaps instigating a cleaning policy would be more effective than wasting water. Having worked in the catering trade I have never heard of anything so stupid as leaving a tap running all day.

From jillanstey on Mon Oct 06 12:37PM
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putting them all on a water meter would possibly stop this policy or make them raise the price of their product to cover the cost which would deflect customers to other outlets.
total idiots, regular chlorination of the system is more effective.

From uu4williams on Mon Oct 06 12:37PM
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Time to fit water meters in all their shops, I bet we would see a rapid change in company policy then!

From lowsjam2 on Mon Oct 06 12:37PM
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What idiots!!! to stop the germs from festering!!! i would like them to explain
that to all the countries that have to walk miles everyday to get water to drink
that could potentially kill them as its not safe!!!how can they waste 23 million
litres a day!!!! i hope they get a huge fine for this as this is disgusting!
I will be joining in with future protests against starbucks!! SHAME ON YOU!!!!

From jardine_miroy on Mon Oct 06 12:37PM
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How dumb can you get! They can just wipe taps to keep them clean, no need to waste a hell of alot of water! Some people have NO brains!

From karlee_jones@ymail.com on Mon Oct 06 12:37PM
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So much for their "Social Responsibility" boasted about on their website.
I wouldn't buy their over priced coffee in any case

From headshok321 on Mon Oct 06 12:38PM
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I love my Starbucks but this has totally put me off. I’m disgusted. I’ll be going elsewhere now!

From hutchinson_yh on Mon Oct 06 12:38PM
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