Customer : Social Responsibility

Brewing Together Day of Service

Anna C — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:06:00 GMT

Hi everyone-

I’m pleased to return to the Ideas in Action blog to invite YOU to join Starbucks and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” for Brewing Together Day of Service this Saturday, November 21st. Visit www.handsonnetwork.org/brewingtogether to find a volunteer event in your local community.

This service event is the next step in Starbucks Coffee Company’s partnership with “Morning Joe,” announced earlier this year. Both companies are coming together to encourage community service across the country. As part of raising awareness for volunteerism, “Morning Joe” will highlight volunteer efforts and information on-air during the weeks leading up to November 21.

As part of this partnership, we’ve also renamed the Gold Coast Blend® sold where you buy groceries to Gold Coast Blend®: Morning Joe Edition. This bold coffee is a fitting accompaniment to conversation, whether around the kitchen table, or during a break while you're volunteering in your community.

Be sure to visit www.handsonnetwork.org/brewingtogether to find a volunteer opportunity in your neighborhood on November 21st or any day throughout the upcoming holiday season. Thank you for joining Starbucks in our commitment to improving communities through service.

Best regards,
Anna

It's Fair Trade Month- Join the Live Discussion

Katie Seawell — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:56:00 GMT

Hi!

My name is Katie Seawell, and I’m the director of marketing for Starbucks™ Shared Planet™.

Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ is our commitment to doing business in ways that are good to each other and the planet.

Coffee is a major global industry that involves more than 25 million people. As the largest roaster and retailer of specialty coffee, Starbucks believes we have a responsibility to treat farmers fairly, reduce our impact on the environment and be a good neighbor in the communities in which we operate.

This October we’re celebrating Fair Trade Month in the U.S. with one of our key partners, TransFair USA. Last year, Starbucks became the largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee in the world. This is a milestone we all can be proud of. But, the work has just begun. We are continuing to partner with Fair Trade to help identify even more areas where we can make a positive impact with the farmers who grow our coffee to help us make the best coffee we can.

To find out more, join a live discussion between Dub Hay, our senior vice president of coffee and tea, and Paul Rice, president and CEO of Transfair USA on Oct. 12th at 11 a.m. Pacific.

What questions do you have now? Tell us.

Starbucks Summer Volunteer Initiative

Anna C — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Hi there!

Last time I wrote a blog on MyStarbucksIdea, I was kicking off the Starbucks Summer Volunteer Initiative. Now, as summer is winding down, I invited Nicola Goren, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service, to write a blog about the National Day of Service and Remembrance coming up this week on September 11th. Please read below to learn more. ~ Anna

Hello, Starbucks partners and customers. My name is Nicola Goren, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent federal agency that works to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.

On behalf of the Corporation and the Obama Administration, thanks to those of you who have fulfilled your pledge to contribute five hours of service. You have joined efforts with millions of Americans this summer to improve local communities across our country. I would love to read your community service stories so please feel free to post them in the comment stream below. We applaud your efforts and we also appreciate Starbucks history of, and their ongoing commitment to being actively engaged in local communities.

Although summer is nearly over, there are ample opportunities to continue sharing your time and talents with non-profit organizations. For the first time, September 11th has been federally designated as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Find a project near you to commemorate September 11 or to serve anytime by visiting www.serve.gov.

Once again, thank you for serving.

Nicola Goren
Acting CEO
Corporation for National and Community Service

How does Starbucks support local communities?

sbx_jska — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 22:14:00 GMT

People often ask how Starbucks gives back to the local community. From the neighborhoods where our stores are located, to those where our coffee is grown – we believe in being involved in the communities we’re a part of. Bringing people together, inspiring change and making a difference in people’s lives – it’s all part of being a good neighbor. And it’s a commitment rooted in the belief that we can use our scale to be a catalyst for change.

My name is Joelle and I work on the Global Responsibility team. Today I want to share with you one fantastic area where Starbucks is involved in local communities. Through grants, called the Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ Youth Grant, Starbucks provides funding to nonprofit organizations that support young people in creating change in their local community. These grants help move us forward in reaching our Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ goal of supporting 50,000 young people in creating change in their local community.

While I could write stories about the grant recipients, I know it is much more interesting and personal to meet them yourself through video. Below is the first of several short videos showcasing the stories of our grant recipients. I hope you enjoy it and maybe, just maybe, it will inspire you to be a catalyst for change in your community.

(Watch video here)

Joelle

Trivia Tuesday: Featuring Farmer Support Centers

sbx_bean — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:50:00 GMT

Question: What is a Farmer Support Center?
Answer: You may have heard the term “Farmer Support Center” from Starbucks before. Our farmer support centers are run by agronomists and other scientists in coffee-growing regions so that they can work directly with coffee farmers and suppliers. The staff evaluates social, environmental and economic aspects of coffee production to help ensure that the coffee Starbucks purchases is grown and processed in a responsible manner while helping to improve the quality of the crops. Our agronomists also help share best practices with farmers to improve growing and conservation techniques.

Question: When did Starbucks first open a Farmer Support Center?
Answer: The first Starbucks Farmer Support Center was opened in Costa Rica in 2004. This center allows Starbucks to work closely with farmers and suppliers who implement Starbucks coffee growing guidelines known as Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices, the ethical sourcing guidelines under Starbucks™ Shared Planet™. C.A.F.E Practices is a set of guidelines that include more than 120 standards for quality, environmental practices, social and economic standards, and price transparency to farmers. This commitment to ethical sourcing allows coffee farmers to share in Starbucks mission and success.

Question: How many centers are there?
Answer: Last month we opened our second Farmer Support Center in Rwanda. Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, visited Rwanda to meet with President Kagame, the head of the Coffee Development Board, and local coffee farmers and exporters. The center will work with East African coffee communities to help them continue to improve their coffee quality and to increase the number of suppliers producing coffee that can be imported by Starbucks. The farmer support and service is available for free. Starbucks agronomists and quality experts work directly with farmers to develop and use more responsible methods to grow better coffee and help improve the quality and size of the harvest to attract better prices.

We are also planning on opening a center in Ethiopia at a later date.

Question: Are there more pictures of Howard’s trip to Rwanda for the opening of the Farmer Support Center?
Answer: Yes! Check out our Facebook album (you don’t have to have a Facebook profile to view our photos).

More questions? Post them in the comment stream below. Thanks for reading!

To learn more about our Farmer Support Centers, please visit our Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ website.

New Store Design - University Village, Seattle

_sbx_rnis — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:31:00 GMT

On Tuesday, June 30, the University Village store (located in Seattle, WA) reopened after an extensive renovation. Capitalizing on a long scheduled renovation, the University Village location also underwent many changes to increase environmental efficiency, incorporate local recycled elements and apply for LEED® certification- all of which supports our Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ commitment to environmental stewardship.

As with many of our store designs, there are several ideas that comprise the larger coffeehouse story. Many of the design elements were driven by the desire to incorporate material reuse, energy conservation and waste diversion. A few of these features are new to this store, others we’ve been executing for some time now. Regardless, we’re so excited to share them with our customers; we’ve captured each one on metal “icons” and sprinkled them throughout the store.

The next time you visit the University Village store, take some time to experience these innovative sustainable features:

Material Reuse:
• The slate for the menu boards was recycled from Garfield High School.
• The redwood siding on the exterior of this store was reclaimed from hop-vine poles in Eastern Washington.
• The burlap coffee bags on this wall are repurposed from a Starbucks Roasting Plant in the Seattle area.
• The ash for this table was salvaged from a fallen tree in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood.
• The Douglas fir in these wall fixtures was reclaimed from school bleachers.
• The merbau wood on the exterior entrance mats was reclaimed from existing buildings.
• The structure of this bar incorporates sustainable elements such as reclaimed and recycled materials.
• The Douglas fir in these cabinets was reclaimed from school bleachers.
• The countertop on this bar contains 85% recycled content.
• This informational piece utilizes recycled slate from Garfield High School as well as salvaged metal and wood from the Seattle area.
• The leather on the face of this bar is scrap leather obtained from shoe and automobile factories.
• The metal panels on this community wall were repurposed from old espresso machines.
• The wall tile in this store’s restrooms contains 40% recycled material.

Energy:
• To help reduce our energy needs, this store uses more efficient LED and CFL bulbs.

Waster Diversion:
• The previous flooring in this store was recycled rather than thrown away.
• During construction, over 80% of the waste was diverted from the landfill. Wood, metals and concrete were reused or recycled.

Indoor Air Quality:
• We carefully selected paints, finishes and adhesives that will not interfere with the aroma of our coffee.

Recycle:
• Thank you for helping us reduce waste and care for our planet by recycling.

Greening Our Stores:
• Beginning in late 2010, every new company operated store we open will be LEED certified. The U.S. Green Building Council certifies LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Hand Dryer:
• Using these energy-efficient hand dryers substantially reduces paper towel consumption.

Water:
• We are significantly reducing our use of water with these dual-flush toilets and low-flow faucets.
• The new dipper well (sanitizing sink) in this store provides signifi cant water savings while adhering to health department requirements.

Mugs:
• By using one of our for-here mugs or bringing in your own, you can help us reduce waste and take care of the planet.

Natural Materials:
• The interior entrance mats contain 100% recycled material.

Stop by and let us know what you think. For those of you who live in the area, join us for the grand reopening party tomorrow (July 10)!

Reusable Bags: Out of Africa and Into Our Stores

_sbx_sspe — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:01:00 GMT

Hi, Sarah here from the Merchandise team. About a year ago, Marell, a co-worker of mine, and a partner (employee) from our Supplier Social Responsibility department, traveled to Rwanda, Kenya, and South Africa with the goal of bringing back vibrant, authentic materials that we could incorporate into our products and share with our customers.

Working with Fair Winds Trading, we are able to do just that—and take it a step further: we’re on our way to building a continuous business relationship with several rural communities in Africa. This allows talented artisans to weave together something more than just fabric. They can take progress into their own hands and seek opportunity through creativity. The results bring stability and sustainability to regions where hardship is the status quo, but where a rich culture and optimism shine through. We are proud to announce the launch of our Africa artisan collection to sell beside our seasonal African coffees starting on June 30.

My favorite products from the line are the reusable fabric bags made from 100% cotton and handcrafted by artisans from Rwanda. Offered in two different patterns, one symbolizing community and the other positive change, the purchase of these bags (U.S. retail- $ 12.95) connects you to a community of craftspeople who are working to create a better life for themselves and their families. I love being able to reuse the bag over and over again, especially because it’s the perfect size for carrying a pound of coffee beans, pastry purchases or even a lunch! And while the totes can also double as a gift bag to be accompanied with a coordinating tumbler, there is no greater gift than being able to help a cause that goes beyond the seams of a bag.

This blog was inspired by an idea: Bring your own bag!