SEATTLE, WA - Earth Day Network announced today that Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) has reaffirmed its commitment to environmental leadership through a $50,000 contribution to Earth Day Network. The funds provide the seed money to support Earth Day Network's outreach to healthy communities in diverse areas.

"Starbucks support of Earth Day Network is in line with the Company's mission statement," said Ben Packard, director of Environmental Affairs. "Starbucks continually strives to reduce our impact on the planet through examining strategies to minimize our environmental footprint; developing policies and procedures that are implemented in retail stores, roasting plants and support centers; and offering complimentary spent coffee grounds for composting in gardens."

"Earth Day Network has a long term commitment to making the connection between environmental stewardship and public health, thus broadening the environmental movement," said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. "Earth Day Network thanks Starbucks for its leadership in corporate environmental stewardship."

The outreach project will be developed and implemented in late 2003 by Earth Day Network and their affiliate organizations across the United States. Starbucks funding will help Earth Day Network organize guides and translate fact sheets into Spanish, and to work more closely with Earth Day Network partners active in Spanish-speaking communities.

In addition to the financial contribution to Earth Day Network, Starbucks broadened its communication efforts to raise awareness of Earth Day and how consumers can be involved. Specifically, Starbucks customized its cup sleeve with an environmental message and the Earth Day Network website, added new website content on Starbucks.com, and placed banner ads on the New York Times website.

"More than 300,000 people have already logged onto our site in the first two weeks of this promotion, demonstrating the strength of Starbucks brand presence in communities. We hope visitors will leave our site more aware of their own ability to make a difference," added Rogers.

Starbucks partners (employees) are also encouraged to play an active role in the environment. This year, hundreds of Starbucks partners are estimated to participate in Earth Day with customers and community residents. Examples of Starbucks Earth Day 2003 activities include:

· Starbucks Dallas partners are is teaming with Earth Fest in the downtown area's beautification project on April 25.
· Partners in Denver are joining Denver Urban Gardens in an effort to beautify the city's parks on April 26.
· In New York City, Starbucks is partnering with Friends of Morningside Park, the Columbia University Earth Coalition and the NYC Parks Department for the seventh annual Morningside Park clean up on April 27.

In 2002, Starbucks made a $20,000 contribution to Earth Day Network. The funds supported Earth Day Network's efforts to increase awareness of the need to develop and implement environmentally friendly solutions for the planet. Starbucks funding helped Earth Day Network organize a workshop on environmental health at the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2002. The workshop results provided the foundation from the formation of the U.S. Healthy Communities program in the United States.

To find out more about Starbucks environmental and community programs visit www.starbucks.com/csr, and/or download Starbucks Corporate Social Responsibility Annual Report detailing activities and initiatives for fiscal year 2002 (Oct. 1, 2001 - Sept. 29, 2002).

Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world, with more than 6,000 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. In addition to its retail operations, the Company produces and sells bottled Frappuccino® coffee drinks, Starbucks DoubleShot™ coffee drink, and a line of superpremium ice creams through its joint venture partnerships. The Company's other brands enhance the Starbucks Experience through best-of-class products: Tazo Tea Company offers a line of innovative premium teas, and Hear Music produces and distributes a line of exceptional compact discs.

Earth Day Network was founded in 1994 to carry on the spirit and actions of the very first Earth Day in 1970. Today, Earth Day Network includes more than 5,000 organizations in 184 nations and more than 90,000 K-12 educators in the United States. Our mission is to promote a healthy environment and a peaceful, just, sustainable world by spreading environmental awareness through education materials. Our goal is to build broad-based citizen support for sound, workable, and effective environmental policies.

Starbucks Corporation

Starbucks Corporation

It's the way we do business Contributing positively to our communities and environment is so important to Starbucks that it's a guiding principle of our mission statement. We jointly fulfill this commitment with partners (employees), at all levels of the company, by getting involved together to help build stronger communities and conserve natural resources.

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