Feb 23, 2011 3:46 PM
How can I help our store to be able to recycle?
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Like (1)
Ever since we did away with the dipper well to conserve water, I've been astounded at the amount of garbage we throw away each day that could be recycled. I work extra hard at home to do it and then at work I feel like I'm undoing it all! With how active Starbucks is in the environment, I'm surprised we don't have a program in place to recycle, especially all those gift cards we toss out! Are there stores out there doing it? How did you make the change?
THE EASIEST THING TO RECYCLE ARE GIFT CARDS. YOU CAN HAVE A CUBE ON THE COUNTER LABELED RECYCLED GIFT CARDS AND INSTEAD OF THROWING THEM AWAY, YOU CAN TOSS THEM IN THE CUBE. THEN YOU NEED A VOLUNTEER TO TAKE THEM EVERY SO OFTEN TO A RECYCLING CENTER. SOME CITIES THAT HAVE MORE ADVANCED NETWORKS EVEN OFFER TO PICK UP YOUR RECYCLEABLE GOODS. SEE IF THAT IS A POSSIBILITY
ALSO EASY WOULD BE CO2 CARTRIDGES. DO THE SAME THING. PUT A CUBE ON THE COUNTER AND INSTEAD OF THROWING THEM AWAY TOSS IN CUBE. THE AWESOME THING ABOUT COLLECTING THEM IS THAT YOU CAN GET MONEY FOR RECYCLING THEM! TALK TO YOUR MANAGER. THIS MONEY CAN BE ADDED TO YOUR TIPS... OR BETTER YET DONATE THE MONEY TO AN ORGANIZATION OF YOUR CHOICE!
This is an awesome idea . I want to do this at our store now. THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!
DOES ANYONE PICKUP YOUR NEWSPAPERS? SOME PAPERMEN WILL RECYCLE FOR YOU, JUST ASK. ALSO LOTS OF LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS HAVE DROP OFF SITES FOR PAPER. WE USE A BIG BIN IN OUR BACKROOM. AT END OF DAY WE PUT ALL NEWSPAPER IN THE BIN AND ONCE A WK A VOLUNTEER TAKES IT TO THE LIBRARY TO RECYCLE
Hi Ashleigh!
Wow! Thank you so much for your replies! I am going to bring up the gift cards and chargers to my manager as soon as I am back to work on Friday! I think someone does pick up the papers, I know we leave them in a garbage bag outside at night, I just never knew why, HA! Do you have any ideas about the milk cartons?
I have volunteered to take all of our cardboard boxes...especially on the day the big order arrives, to our local recycle center, along with the newpapers.
YEAH! THIS IS A LOT MORE WORK THAN YOU MIGHT THINK THO. IF THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION WHO DOES COMMERCIAL PICKUPS IT WILL HELP YOU ALOT. IF NOT IT WILL BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE AT LEAST ONE DEDICATED BARISTA WHO IS WILLING TO TAKE THE EMPTIES YOU'LL SURVIVE. YOU CAN HAVE 2 TRASH CANS SIDE BY SIDE @ YOUR BAR. TRASH IN ONE- JUGS IN THE OTHER. IF YOU DO THIS YOU CAN ALSO INCLUDE ALL #1 & #2 PLASTICS SUCH AS WHITE MOCHA JUGS, SYRUP BOTTLES, FRAP. BOTTLES, AND THE CONTAINERS YOUR MUFFINS COME IN. CHECK THE LIL TRIANGLE ( USUALLY ON THE BOTTOM) TO SEE WHAT RECYCLE # IT IS. THE VOLUNTEER BARISTA WILL TAKE THEM HOME AT THE END OF THEIR SHIFT. KEEP IN MIND THEY CAN'T WORK EVERYDAY SO HAVING MORE THAN ONE BARISTA WILLING TO DONATE THEIR TIME TO RECYCLE THESE IS BENEFICIAL. IF YOU CAN'T RECYCLE THEM EVERYDAY DON'T BE UPSET. SOME IS BETTER THAN NONE AND IT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. ALSO WITH THE NEWSPAPERS YOU CAN THROW IN ALL OTHER PAPER INSTEAD OF THROWING AWAY. THINK OF ALL THE EMAILS, ACTION ITEMS, & PROMO WORKBOOKS YOU COULD RECYCLE!
Thank you. Yes some is better than none. We have very little recycling recourse in the community and there are some days (freezing rain!) when I just can't do it but I don't get upset...I had to come to peace with that.
We recycle our plastics like Ashleigh does. I have a partner who takes them or we leave them for the garbage collector to pick up. They recycle in our city so that works out. I would also like to expand the process in our store. Any other ideas??
And how do you deal w/ the QASA effect?
I came from a Licensed store. We had seperate recetacles for cardboard and plastic and we were able to get a hold of the city and they would come and pick it up.
I have brought up some of the ideas to Liz (our store manager) and there does seem to be some conflictions with QASA, Is there somewhere we can look up exactly what the conflicts are and see if there is any way around it? I really would lke to see our store recycle even a little bit like the Co2 chargers and gift cards.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL WORK BEST FOR YOUR STORE. YOU CAN LOOK UP AN ECOSURE AUDIT ON THE PORTAL. IT WILL GIVE YOU A DETAILED CHECKLIST OF WHAT ISN'T ALLOWED. UNWANTED GIFT CARDS AND USED CO2 CARTRIDGES ARE NOT AGAINST ECOSURE POLICY. YOU COULD EASILY STORE THEM ON THE COUNTER IN A CUBE.SAME WITH NEWSPAPER- WE COLLECT OURS IN A GIANT BIN. IF YOU SM ISN'T SURE, SHE IS WELCOME TO EMAIL RITA (SBUX ECOSURE LEAD) AND ASK FOR DIRECTION. HERE ARE A COUPLE IDEAS: IF YOUR STORE HAS AN ENCLOSED TRASH CAN OUTSIDE, YOU CAN STORE YOUR BAGS NEXT TO DUMPSTER FOR BARISTAS TO TAKE HOME AFTER SHIFT. YOU CAN INVEST IN A RECYCLE BIN (ORDERABLE THRU YOUR RP SHOPPING LIST OR ANY STORE) TO STORE ON OUTSIDE OF YOUR BUILDING FOR MILK JUGS OR CARDBOARD. IF YOUR STORE IS BIG ENOUGH FOR ANOTHER LARGE ROLLY TRASH BIN- YOU CAN STORE TRASH IN ONE- PLASTIC IN ANOTHER.
Hi Ashleigh,
Our store has two slim jims for recycling near the bar. We recycle syrup bottles and RTD CRV from customers and sauce jugs. They are recycled by an outside vendor and the money is donated to a local Girl Scout Troop( we don't touch the money!!). All other recyclables are bagged together and thrown in the recycle trash bin in our dumpster area.
Good Luck.
Donna
These are some really great ideas. We have so much waste that could be recycled if there is somewhere nearby that will do it. I never thought about doing the co2 cartridges either, what a great idea! I do know we have a place that will do aluminum and such, I'm sure they would do the used cartridges. And adding that back to the tips or donating it once it's built up, great idea!