Will Starbucks And Its Chairman, Howard Shultz, Choose Profit Over Dying Oceans?

     Starbucks and its chairman, Howard Schultz, have made it clear that they want to make the world a better place. Racism is an issue they are placing front and center. It is not our intention here to address whether or not they are pandering, overreacting, or sensibly attacking racism.
      But it is impossible to understand how a massive, profitable corporation that prides itself on progressive values can be oblivious to the enormous harm that is being inflicted upon the Pacific and other oceans of the world. The huge amount of Styrofoam (polystyrene), plastic straws, other plastics and non biodegradable materials that pour into the oceans by millions of pounds daily comes from many sources, of which Starbucks is one. Starbucks is aggressively expanding into China. China is the number one source of plastic and non biodegradable material pouring into the Pacific. Starbucks are all over the world. They have to know that much of their plastic and other non biodegradable materials end up in the oceans. China, Indonesia, the Philippines, in that order, are the biggest sources of Pacific ocean plastic contamination. Starbucks is in all of these countries.
       Most countries lack the resources, ability, and in some cases the will to properly remove, collect and dispose of plastics, polystyrene and other non biodegradable contaminants. Even countries considered to have efficient waste management are having problems removing and disposing of plastics and other non biodegradable materials and preventing their entry into oceans and other bodies of water.
       Starbucks can be a leader in providing environmentally friendly alternatives to single use plastics, plastic straws and Styrofoam products. Starbucks in the developing world must ensure that their packaging materials stop ending up in the Pacific and other oceans.
        The oceans are dying. This is of enormous consequence to human survival. Dying oceans cause tremendous human and animal suffering. Will Starbucks prove itself to be a truly people oriented, environmentally concerned corporation, or will it be business as usual as Starbucks and other corporations prosper and the oceans die?