Is Your Frappuccino Really Worth It?
“Hi, can I please get a grande, iced latte with half a pump of vanilla and fat-free milk on light ice? Thank you!” I am sure most of us admit to having ordered one these crazy drinks before. For teenagers, Starbucks is a go-to place to meet up with friends, study, grab a quick drink on your cold walk home from school, or even to pre-order and pick up during lunch! Especially with the new Starbucks opening less than 500 meters away from Havergal, I am sure we are going to be seeing even more white and green cups going around. Now would be a great opportunity to stop and think about what effect our Starbucks habit is having on our wallets, our bodies, and our environment.
Starbucks has become a big part of our lives, considering there is one on the corner of almost every fourth block! One of the biggest downsides to Starbucks is how high their prices are. In the moment it may not seem like paying $4 for a tall passion tea lemonade is very much, but think about it. You are basically paying $4 for a cup of ice and flavored water. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Starbucks drink too, but certain things related to Starbucks are just insane! But why are the prices so high? Let's make a comparison: if I purchase a tall Starbucks hot chocolate it will be $4, and if I order a small Tim Hortons hot chocolate, it will be less than $2. Some may argue that Starbucks is better, but is it? It's not like it's made with all organic or expensive chocolate. They are made with the same, unhealthy ingredients. This leads me to my next point.
Of course Starbucks drinks are so good, that’s why everyone gets them, but what really makes them so good? When you order a Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino, do you really know what you are sipping through that plastic green straw? A tall Frappuccino has on average 50+ grams of sugar; that’s two times the daily serving for a woman! Did you know that a tall latte has the same number of calories as a full meal? Gross, right? So maybe next time, think before you rush to order your favorite drink.
Additionally, starbucks can also be a threat to our environment, nd not just our health. If we all brought our own reusable cups not only could this lower the price, but it would also reduce waste immensely and be more eco-friendly! According to the International Coffee Organization, roughly 6 billion disposable Starbucks cups end up in landfills each year. Although the paper cups seem like they would be recyclable, they have a plastic lining that makes this impossible. Many of us have already caught on to the plastic $3 to-go Starbucks cups, but if everyone had one, we could reduce so much waste!
Do you think people drink Starbucks because they actually like it, or do you think they drink it for the trend? Starbucks drinks are tasty and great on a really cold (or hot) day, but why do they have so much hype? Is it really that much better than other cafe chains like Tim Hortons, Second Cup, or even places like Pusateri's? Do people buy $6 Frappuccinos because they really really like them, or so they can take an artsy Instagram picture with them?
I love Starbucks just as much as you do, but next time think more carefully about what you are ordering, and where, and if, you throw out your cups. And, of course, consider whether you really need that $4 hot chocolate.
