American coffeehouse chain goes green

CEBU, Philippines — American coffeehouse chain Starbucks Philippines has strengthened its commitment to sustainable operations by establishing green stores in the market.

Its Philippine market franchisee, Rustan Coffee Corporation led by its president Noey Lopez, announced that customers can enjoy their favorite Starbucks drinks in Greener Stores, designed to reduce carbon emissions, minimize water usage, and reduce landfill waste.

Initially, the company established Greener Stores in the Philippines, such as The Shops at Ayala Triangle Garden, One Ayala, and Commonwealth corner Peseta are the newest additions to this roster.

“Our global month of good efforts, alongside our dedicated partners, reaffirm our commitment to serving not only great coffee but also our local communities. As we celebrate the power of volunteerism and community service, we witness lives transformed and neighborhoods uplifted. This annual initiative goes beyond just a program; it shows

what our brand truly represents- creating a positive and meaningful change,” Lopez said.

According to Lopez, Starbucks Philippines remains committed to helping the communities they serve across the market, not just during the Global Month of Good, but beyond.

The company looks forward to implementing further initiatives in the years to come, he added.

Last April, Starbucks Philippines, together with its partners (employees) and local

community organizations, continues to celebrate its annual Global Month of Good. Every year, the company encourages partners to support initiatives aimed at improving the local neighborhoods.

Global Month of Good started with a mission to promote the importance and value of community service.

Since 2011, Starbucks markets globally have been dedicating the month of April to bringing partners together to use our scale for good, supporting programs that positively impact the planet.

This year, Starbucks Philippines extended its community-building initiatives, expanding its efforts to key cities outside Metro Manila, while simultaneously amplifying its outreach within the current communities it serves.

With more than 450 stores nationwide, the company has placed a priority on supporting youth education and hunger relief.

Starbucks Philippines successfully built its fifth AquaTower nationwide in Cebu, in partnership with Planet Water Foundation and The Starbucks Foundation. This is also Starbucks Philippines’ first structure outside of the Luzonregion, which gives over a thousand students of Babag II Elementary School in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, access to clean water for both drinking and handwashing. The AquaTower is a community-level water filtration system that can deliver 1,000 liters of clean drinking water per hour and is equipped with six faucets and an integrated liquid soap dispenser. Starbucks partners volunteered to teach the kids how to properly wash their hands, and the importance of having clean hands to be healthy, and strong, and to fight germs.

Launched in 2022, Starbucks FoodShare is a food donation program in partnership with the Philippine FoodBank Foundation and Grab Philippines. Participating Starbucks stores work together with Grab drivers to pick up and deliver rescuable food and deliver to the Philippine FoodBank Foundation.

To date, Starbucks Philippines has donated over 1 million rescuable food items to these

beneficiaries. This year, the program was extended to North Luzon and Visayas regions, specifically in the cities of Pampanga and Bacolod. Beneficiaries in these areas include Bahay Pag-Ibig House of Prayer (Home for the Aged) and Munting Tahanan ng Nazareth Inc. (Home for the Abandoned and Handicapped Special Children) in Pampanga, CICM Mission Center, Caritas Bacolod, and Señor Sto.Niño Home/Orphanage in Bacolod.

Meanwhile, Starbucks customers nationwide continue to enjoy a P10 store discount whenever they buy drinks using their reusable cups. — (FREEMAN)