I rarely visit Starbucks, both because the drinks are rather pricey and because of the high kcalories in my drink of choice. The exception is in the airport - I treat myself when I have to wait.
I was very interested when I read about how Starbucks Japan plans to reduce plastic waste in their stores as part of their global effort to reduce waste by 50 percent by the year 2030. In order to do this they plan to switch to environmentally friendly materials and promote reusable drink containers to reduce the number of disposable cups, lids, and cutlery.
Starbucks Japan proposed four new initiatives to reduce plastic waste.
1. Stores will serve iced beverages in glasses
2. Iced beverages will be served without a lid
3. More stores will offer reusable tumblers that can be rented
4. Cutlery will be reusable or made from 100 percent plant-derived materials
Here are the details:
From April 18th, 106 Starbucks in Japan will begin offering iced beverages in glasses for use in the store. Any customer can also request disposable cups.
Also beginning April 18th, 113 stores in Japan will start serving iced drinks in cups without plastic lids (with the exception of children's drinks), when bought for in store drinking. Plastic lids will remain for hot drinks and will also be available for customers who request them.
In some Tokyo Starbucks, stainless steel rental tumblers are available for people who order hot or cold drinks to go. I don't know what the details are about this.
Nationwide, Starbucks will offer cutlery made from 100 percent plant-derived materials to customers who order food to go and stainless steel cutlery for in store purchases.
Do you drink/eat at Starbucks? Are these initiatives in practice where you live? What do you think of these ideas?
There is not a Starbucks in the town I live in, but sometimes when I travel, I will get a Mocha Frappuccino at an airport or at a nearby train station. It is a popular chain in Japan. I was interested in a story about a western Tokyo store staffed by hearing impaired workers. It is raising public awareness of sign language after opening as the coffee chain's first signing store in Japan.
When I watch a news conference on the internet, I am always interested in the signers who stand next to the speakers and translate. I don't know or understand American sign language and I really don't know Japanese sign language, but still I am interested in seeing it.
Customers at this Starbucks in Kunitachi don't need to use sign language to order, but if they want to, there are simple instructions on the shop's wall. Ayaka Yamada, a spokesperson for Starbucks Coffee Japan Ltd. said, "We hope to develop the coffeehouse into a place where staff and local people can make connections while making sign language familiar to everyone." I think this is a great idea! The store has 23 full and part time workers, with 19 of the 23 having hearing impairments. It opened in June and is the fifth outlet worldwide to operate using sign language as its main mode of communication.
Do you know of any other chains offering a sign language shop? Have you ever visited one?
