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Corporate Social Responsibility
News
7.16.2003 ET
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CSR News from:
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News Category:
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Starbucks Complimentary “Grounds for Your Garden” is Waking Up Gardens Everywhere
Initiative to Offer Spent Coffee Grounds Now in its Eighth Year
(CSRwire) SEATTLE,WA – Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) invites
green thumbs across North America to pick up a complimentary bag of spent
coffee grounds for their gardens and composting bins on their next visit
to Starbucks. What originated as a grass roots initiative more than eight
years ago, “Grounds for Your Garden” is a popular program
offered at Starbucks Company-operated retail stores across North America.
“Coffee grounds are a valuable source of nutrition for the garden,"
said Ben Packard, director of Environmental Affairs for Starbucks.
“At Starbucks, we strive to find innovative ways to contribute
positively to the environment and to reduce our footprint on the planet.
Reusing coffee grounds in the garden is a great alternative to disposing
this rich resource from our stores. It’s a win for gardeners and a
win for Starbucks.”
Complimentary spent coffee grounds are available year-round to customers
on a first come, first serve basis. Grounds are packaged in reused coffee
bags and sealed with the “Grounds for Your Garden” sticker
with simple directions for using the grounds in the garden or compost
pile.
General facts about coffee grounds include:
Coffee grounds are considered a good nitrogen source, with a
carbon-nitrogen ration of 20:1.
Combined with brown material such as leaves or straw, coffee grounds
generate heat and thus speed up the compost process.
Coffee grounds help absorb moisture and can improve the texture and
fertility of soil.
Coffee grounds can be applied directly to acid loving plants such as
azaleas, roses or hydrangeas. The acidity of the grounds can be countered
with leaves and dried grass.
For more information on Starbucks complimentary coffee grounds for your
garden and compost bin, visit Starbucks website at www.starbucks.com/aboutus/compost.asp.
Gardeners with questions about their specific soil type are encouraged to
contact a local gardening expert.
In addition to providing coffee grounds to customers, Starbucks actively
recycles the organic waste by donating grounds to organizations such as
parks and community gardens. Additional information about Starbucks
environmental activities can be found in the company’s second annual
Corporate Social Responsibility Annual Report at www.starbucks.com/aboutus/csr.asp
Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of
specialty coffee in the world, with more than 6,500 retail locations in
North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim.
The Company is committed to offering the highest quality coffee and the
Starbucks Experience while conducting its business in ways that
produce social, environmental and economic benefits for communities in
which it does business.
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Editor’s note: To obtain digital or print images, or to schedule an
interview with a Starbucks spokesperson, contact Megan Behrbaum at
206-318-7310 or mbehrbau@starbucks.com.
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