Starbucks has been excoriated by environmental experts following the discovery that the company pours millions of gallons of water down the drain at its coffee shops.
The giant coffee chain has a policy of keeping a tap running non-stop at all its 10,000 outlets worldwide, more than 6 million gallons a day. That would provide enough daily water for the entire population of drought-stricken Namibia in Africa, or fill an Olympic pool every 83 minutes.
Every Starbucks branch has a cold tap behind the counter providing water for a sink called a “dipper well”, used for washing spoons and utensils.