The main catalysts for switching to Bridge Coffee were cited as “the people and the planet”. Starbucks has been deemed as a major pollutant by numerous organisations globally, such as Clean Water Action.
This led to students and staff at Warwick to campaign against having Starbucks being served on campus as it does not align with the University’s Moral values.
Starbucks was contacted for comment.
One of the main student groups that campaigned against Starbucks being served on campus was Warwick Stands With Palestine, which opposed Starbucks due to what it called the franchise’s lack of ethics towards labour unions, along with Starbucks clamping down on a labour union for expressing solidarity with Palestine.
A spokesperson for the group told The Boar: “We have long campaigned against Starbucks on campus due to its repressive policies against union activities and expressions of Palestinian solidarity, its sponsorship of environmentally destructive palm oil and coffee plantations, and the use of child labour in its supply chain.”
They added that the decision was “a tacit acknowledgement from the University that Starbucks is an unethical and unsustainable business which does not align with its ethical principles.
“While we commend this move, we will continue to pressure the University to divest from all other companies that participate in unethical and unsustainable business practices.”
