Is Starbucks ethical?

Starbucks has been found by the National Labor Relations Board to have committed hundreds of labor law violations, and it paid $38.9 million to settle claims it violated NYC scheduling law more than half a million times. It has also missed its own reusable-cup targets and faced reporting on tax avoidance through offshore subsidiaries.

Why are people boycotting Starbucks?

The most common reasons are union busting, including firing pro-union workers and closing unionized stores, and ongoing worker strikes over pay and scheduling. Environmental waste from billions of single-use cups is another frequent driver.

What are the best ethical alternatives to Starbucks?

For cafes, your local independent coffee shop keeps money in your community. For beans at home, farmer-owned and worker-owned roasters like Pachamama Coffee and Equal Exchange offer fair trade, organic options.

Starbucks

Flagged · Avoid

Global coffee chain with 36,000+ locations that built its identity on "ethical sourcing," while facing lawsuits over those claims and widespread worker strikes over pay and conditions.

Last updated June 10, 2026

Reasons to avoid

Issues span:LaborEnvironmentTax

The National Labor Relations Board found Starbucks committed hundreds of labor law violations across more than 200 stores, making it one of the most prolific union-busting cases in recent U.S. history. Federal judges ordered the company to reinstate fired workers and stop interfering with organizing efforts at multiple locations.apnews.com2023-03-01
Starbucks agreed to pay $38.9 million to settle charges that it violated New York City's Fair Workweek Law more than half a million times between 2021 and 2025. The law requires employers to provide workers with stable, predictable schedules, a protection Starbucks systematically ignored.nytimes.com2025-12-01
Starbucks serves the majority of its drinks in disposable cups, generating billions of single-use plastic and paper containers every year. Despite pledging to make reusable cups the norm by 2025, the company missed that target as mobile ordering and drive-through growth pushed disposable cup usage higher.cnbc.com2023-06-03
A 2025 report accused Starbucks of routing at least $1.3 billion in profits over a decade through a Swiss subsidiary that marks up the price of coffee beans by 18% before reselling them to other Starbucks entities, with none of the goods ever passing through Switzerland. Critics say the arrangement deprives coffee-producing countries in the Global South of tax revenue that funds public services.mongabay.com2025-04-24
In 2023, Starbucks sued its own employees' union for trademark infringement after the union posted in support of Palestine, a move the union called a pretext for anti-union retaliation. Starbucks dropped the lawsuit in early 2024 after its CEO admitted on an earnings call that the resulting boycott had hurt the company's business.pbs.org2023-10-18

Ethical alternatives

Retail Coffee

Peet's Coffee

Premium coffee roaster with ethically sourced beans.

🤝 Fair Trade

Find Local Independent Cafes

Support your neighborhood coffee shop.

📍 Local Business

Coffee Beans

Pachamama Coffee

Farmer-owned cooperative offering organic, fair trade coffee.

👩‍🌾 Farmer Owned🌿 Organic🤝 Fair Trade

Visit →

Equal Exchange

Worker-owned cooperative committed to fair trade.

✊ Worker Owned🤝 Fair Trade

Visit →

Counter Culture Coffee

Sustainably sourced coffee with direct farmer relationships.

🚚 Direct Trade♻️ Sustainable

Visit →

Fair Trade Certified Coffee

Buy beans that ensure fair wages for farmers.

🤝 Fair Trade

Visit →

Common Questions

Is Starbucks ethical?: Starbucks has been found by the National Labor Relations Board to have committed hundreds of labor law violations, and it paid $38.9 million to settle claims it violated NYC scheduling law more than half a million times. It has also missed its own reusable-cup targets and faced reporting on tax avoidance through offshore subsidiaries.
Why are people boycotting Starbucks?: The most common reasons are union busting, including firing pro-union workers and closing unionized stores, and ongoing worker strikes over pay and scheduling. Environmental waste from billions of single-use cups is another frequent driver.
What are the best ethical alternatives to Starbucks?: For cafes, your local independent coffee shop keeps money in your community. For beans at home, farmer-owned and worker-owned roasters like Pachamama Coffee and Equal Exchange offer fair trade, organic options.