The following email exchange between myself and local manager Delma Wells proves they just don't give a damn.
-----Original Message-----
From: jay lassiter
To: Delma Wells
Subject: customer feedback
I live near the Haddonfield Starbucks. Usually the drinks and the staff are great. This is why I choose to spend $4+ on a cup of coffee from time to time. Unfortunately, on a recent "trash day", the staff put dozens of clear plastic trash bags on the sidewalk which were full of recyclables (and compostables) for a landfill. Again. This is a weekly issue.
Seeing the store's disregard for the environment offends me. For Starbucks to ignore its PROGRESSIVE policies in such a visible way -- right on the sidewalk --is a drag. It also contradicts the Starbucks mission statement which, according to your business card, seeks to contribute "positively to community and environment."
Whatever the reasons you are not recycling, I suggest that you revisit them. At present, the store is ill-equipped and the staff is not trained to properly dispose of its trash. Throwing everything out together on the sidewalk in clear plastic bags is unacceptable.
As neighbors, we share this burden. I am eager to help with a solution.
I look forward to your reply and i appreciate you making yourself available for feedback.
Jay Lassiter
Her reply follows...
Delma Wells wrote:
After speaking with the store manager he has informed me that the Township will not pick up the recyclable from Kings Highway because it interferes with traffic flow in the A.M... I will continue to work with the town to find an answer. I hope to resolve this ASAP, and will keep you posted.
Thanks again
Delma W.
District Manager
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~My reply follows...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miss W:
So what you're saying is "It's too hard to recycle."
We can not wait for the township to get its act together and make it easy for us!! You should take initiative! Anything short of this is falling short of the mission statement.
Forty bags of (mostly recyclable) trash every collection day? Can't you at least try to do better?
jay lassiter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That email exchange happened 2 months ago. I heard nothing more from the Starbacks district manager since, despite her vow to "keep me posted.". If Starbucks can be consciencious of the plight of some far-off indigenous coffee farmer, then they can surely stop shitting all over their own neighborhood!
