Submitted Title: Should Aberystwyth University Replace Starbucks with a more sustainable, Local Coffee Brand.
Passed by: Senedd
Passed on: 29/04/2024
All Student Vote: 06/03/2026
Policy lapses: 06/03/2029
Status: We are working on it
Officer Responsible: President
Aberystwyth University positions itself as an environmentally conscious, Welsh culture-and-economy supporting organisation. So its juxtaposed partnership with one of the largest and most harmful corporations on Earth is frankly quite embarrassing.
Summary
Replace Starbucks with a more sustainable, local coffee brand
Details
Currently, the SU, Food Hall, and Ysgubor in Fferm Penglais are partnered with Starbucks as their main coffee supplier. All three are under the control of the Uni hospitality services. Starbucks is infamous for its human rights violation and greenwashed sustainability commitments, not to mention that they're a multi-billion-pound corporation providing zero contribution to the local economy and society. Meanwhile, CaffiBach in the Gwendolyne Rees building uses Teifi Coffee, a Ceredigion-based company whose production line runs entirely off renewable energy, supports local projects, and is partnered with the Woodlands Trust in a carbon contribution scheme.
Submitted By: Sam Hopkins
Updates
| Actions Taken |
Name and Role |
Date |
| Tamed Da has decided to stop using Starbucks and is currently evaluating other locations that utilize Starbucks. |
Bayanda (Union President 2023-2024) |
June 2024 |
| Starbucks is no longer available at Sgubor. |
Bayanda (Union President 2024-2025) |
November 2024 |
| The bar in the cwtch (located in the SU) moved to using costa coffee. After an all-student vote there are steps being taken to have a local coffee supplier instead of costa from the academic year 2026-2027. |
Undeb Aber |
March 2026 |
| During the academic year 2025-2026, Starbucks within the Union changed over to Costa. Students were unhappy with this decision and created an all-student vote to remove Costa and go for a more local coffee brand. The All-student Vote Question Was, “Should Undeb Aber work with the University to stop selling Costa Coffee products in the University run “Coffi Cwtch” in the Students’ Union building and instead use a Welsh coffee product supplier?”. With a 23%of the student population voting, 77% voted in agreement with this idea. |
Undeb Aber |
March 2026 |
|
The bar within the union investigated other more local coffee brands and for the next academic year will serve Roots Coffee.
|
Undeb Aber |
July 2026 |
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