In a recent investigation by CBC, they reported several incidences of Tim Hortons and Starbucks failing to keep their promise of sustainable and eco-friendly practices. This includes: throwing paper cups in garbage instead of recycling, disguising a trash bag as three separate recycling bins, throwing coffee grounds in the garbage instead of composting them, and still using a paper cup when people bring in their own mugs. Both Tim Hortons and Starbucks both use their sustainable practices in Canada as good public relations, but now we are finding out that it is all a lie.
What these two companies are doing is wrong on many levels. They are not only doing quite the opposite of creating social responsibility, but they are lying and pretending that they are, which is very unethical. This will no doubt upset many customers, and discourage them and many more potential customers from buying either of their products for a long time. Also, I would not be surprised to see a drop in their stock after this announcement by CBC.
It might be time for both of these companies to look at the trend in business right now and to follow suit. For example, there has been a big push in sustainability and environmentally friendly practices as of late. If these two companies want to remain strong competitors in the Canadian market, it is crucial they attend to these matters very soon, and regain the trust of their environmentally aware customers.
It looks like these companies are using corporate social responsibility to make themselves look better to the consumer, but are lying about their actual environmental practices