ALL Starbucks and Spinelli coffee shops in Singapore have stopped using a controversial method of cleaning spoons that has drawn fire from environmentalists around the world.
The chains, which have a combined 85 outlets here, made the decision days after government water inspectors visited several outlets to examine their much maligned dipper-well system.
In this method, utensils are bathed in a continuous flow of tap water. The practice has been called 'wasteful' by environmentalists, and one estimate says it squanders 23 million litres of water a day in Starbucks locations world-wide.
Singapore's 57 Starbucks locations axed the dipper-well system on Thursday evening, while Spinelli's 28 outlets followed suit yesterday morning.
Staff at one Spinelli outlet said earlier this week that they were warned by officers from the national water agency PUB that they risked being fined if they continued using the system. Penalties for wasting water can go up to $50,000 for a first offence.
Singapore and Britain are the first countries with Starbucks stores to see the dipper wells discontinued.
Starbucks said baristas will now clean spoons in a dishwasher, while Spinelli said it plans to rinse the utensils under hot water and plunk them in a container.
Singapore Environment Council executive director Howard Shaw applauded the moves.
'I believe it was an oversight of the corporations. They probably didn't realise that they were wasting huge amounts of water. This case shows that public attention can lead to change.'
The controversy follows a report in the British tabloid The Sun - called the 'The great drain robbery' - that said Starbucks wastes enough water to fill an Olympic-size pool every 83 minutes.
The revelations have proven to be a public relations problem for the world's largest coffee chain, which has billed itself as environmentally sensitive.
The company maintains that a continuous flow of water is the most hygienic way to clean milk residue off spoons.
'The challenge lies in balancing customer safety and water conservation,' said Starbucks Coffee Singapore managing director Jeff Miller. 'We recognise that water usage is a topic of public concern and we have been working on alternatives to the dipper-well system since last year,' he said.
Mr Miller said he met all 57 Starbucks managers here on Wednesday to discuss cleaning the spoons in a dishwasher, a process that is less efficient than than the dipper-well system.
The company has ordered 2,200 new stainless steel spoons - along with 180 plastic collection containers - to make sure there are enough clean utensils to go around.
Spinelli spokesman Ross Bright said unlike Starbucks, the chain's stores switched off dipper wells during off-peak hours. But public outcry has convinced the company to shelve the system.
'Public perception is important to us. (The wells) have drawn so much attention recently as a source of water wastage.'
Spoons will now be rinsed under hot water and bathed in cups before being used again. Baristas will change the hot water in the cups once it is cloudy.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Swensen's, which use the dipper-well method, did not reply to e-mail seeking comment.
