A few weeks ago, Canada’s Evolution 107.9 radio station featured Sustainability Is Sexy on a short feature called Our Planet Earth. The station let us run with the script – our conversation jumped from the environment, to coffee cups, to what makes sustainability so sublimely sexy.It’s a great clip.
Besides being entertaining, this radio show was personally inspiring.Interviews like this one help revive the roots of our group, and remind us why our campaigns are so effective.It’s easy to run a program to promote reusable coffee cups, but it’s much more difficult to host one that’s successful and achieves a real impact.Simply put, boring campaigns with underwhelming messages and banal tactics just don’t work.
Earlier this week, I spent some time trading emails with a student group who was interested in promoting reusable coffee cups on their campus, and they landed on the same thoughts I was having throughout the radio show:
“We don’t just want to use posters or invite speakers - IT IS BORING.We want people to join us and have fun, we’d like to talk to people and help them understand their impact on the environment and their responsibility.”
Now I think posters and speakers can be great – but it has to be the right posters and the right speakers.After all, plenty of bands still use posters and speakers to fill concert venues.Encouraging coffee drinkers to practice eco-friendly habits can only be done with engaging, exciting ideas that exhibit raw energy – just like a good rock and roll band would do.
This March, Seattle Public Utilities quietly rolled out an updated city-wide recycling plan with the type of efficiency critics rarely expect from government.Billed as “Better Recycling”, the changes appease the vocal crescendo of recycle-maniacs who have been pushing for broader recycling options for years - and the top dogs in city hall who have set ambitious recycling goals.
The “better recycling” moniker is ambiguous, but the city has covered its bases.Everything from more pick-up days, to job security, to recycling accessibility is resulting from the program. But perhaps most interesting for us coffee-lovers is this: paper coffee cups are now recyclable.There are a few caveats; cups that are too dirty might still be sorted for the landfill, and foam covered cups don’t make the grade.Nonetheless, this rocked our world at SIS.New recycling options have the potential to alleviate tons of residential and commercial waste, and advocacy groups (us included) can heave a sigh of relief knowing the city can “walk the walk”.So does this mean we can close the books on the coffee cup issue? Or would a celebratory Irish coffee be premature?
Blue Skies for Eco-Coffee Drinkers
Seattle’s recycling progress should put smiles on java drinkers throughout the world’s coffee capital.The new coffee cup rule makes recycling more convenient and accessible.Seattleites seem prone to recycle on instinct, so tossing a cup into the right bin shouldn’t be a hard habit to change.And public recycling receptacles are already abundant throughout most of the metro area.It’s too early to predict any impact in quantitative terms, but past successes in Seattle are promising.In the first year of the big composting push, Seattleites remembered to toss 80,000 tons of food and yard waste into their compost bins.The common paper cup could very well be the summer-blockbuster sequel.
Of course, municipal reinforcements are always welcomed by environmental non-profits and advocacy groups.Recycling centers which can handle the complex materials of a disposable coffee cup come with a big price tag.Amidst tight budgets and a shaky economy, it’s fortunate that the upgrade wasn’t axed.
The new rules could have a big impact on long-term plans for eco-regulations too.It’s tough to enforce recycling when options are limited.But now that the city has stepped up to the plate, it’ll be possible to coerce those who create excessive trash to change their habitsAnd if the city is to hit its goal of diverting 60% of its waste to recycling and composting, this may happen soon.
Prevalient Clouds Still Abound
Despite the many benefits, environmentalists should be cautious not to succumb to hubris.As far as waste solutions go, broad recycling is a proven weapon.But conservationists cringe when “recycling” becomes the default solution to municipal environmental issues. Sure, disposable paper cups create landfill waste, and that’s not good. But what about trees, water, energy, petroleum, and other scarce resources gobbled up by cup production?Because of the extra resources consumed in the pick-up and recycling process, disposable coffee cups being recycled can claim evenmore energy than before!Unless new recycling trucks and sorting centers run on alternative energy, ecoists miss a flawless victory.
This solution also neglects to conserve one important resource in particular – money.Recycling, although eco-friendly and popular, does come with a cost.The city has to pay for the state-of-the-art recycling center, businesses must pay for recycling services, and coffee houses still have to pay for their disposable cups.A recent Wall Street Journal article cited a coffee shop owner in Pennsylvania who lost 40 cents per cup in costs. Comparably, promoting reusable coffee cups as a solution saves money for everyone.When it comes to a solution that’s friendly to both the financial and environmental bottom lines, recycling may take second place.
Could Seattle’s programs and commitment to recycling serve as the paragon for other municipalities?It would be an environmentalists dream to see every town and city embrace recycling like Seattle, but the reality is less rosy.Retrofitting a typical recycling center to process disposable coffee cups is costly and out of reach for most cities.And even though Seattle pushed these new recycling investments through the budget process, other municipalities may not be so lucky.I recently visited Lawrence, Kansas to speak with a campus group advocating for glass recycling in bars.The biggest obstacle they face is that glass recycling isn’t yet available.Chances are, spending money to recycle coffee cups is low on their priority list.
Even within the coffee capital, the new recycling solution misses a few targets.Broad recycling may be available, but there’s no guarantee that landlords will provide such amenities to commercial tenants.As Jim Hanna, Environmental Director for Starbucks pointed out in an SIS interview last year:
“Here in Seattle, where commercial recycling is generally available, we [Starbucks] often lease our store spaces from landlords; which may or may not provide us with recycling options… it’s important to understand that setting up recycling is subject to a lot more variables than just putting some bins out front.”
It isn’t just the torpor landlords putting up obstacles. Large Seattle institutions like the University of Washington find themselves left out of the celebratory recycling hubbub. An article titled “New City Recycling Program Not Instituted at UW” notes that contracts with disparate waste management companies are the root cause of UW evading the new rules.This quirky irregularity takes a more serious tone when it’s realized the campus burns through 5000 disposable cups a day.
So…what about that Irish coffee?
Bottom line, this is a major achievement for environmental movers, the city of Seattle, and coffee lovers.New recycling rules will undoubtedly lessen the amount of garbage from disposable drink containers.But only the most credulous of coffee drinkers should believe that the new regulations will close the case on paper cup’s environmental footprint.Conservation takes a back seat when recycling is driving progress, which does no good in protecting our natural resources.
Ultimately, it’s still the responsibility of coffee drinkers and the coffee business to actually do something about paper cups.Whether that means putting in the elbow grease to institute recycling or promoting and using reusable coffee cups, the city government can only do so much.
Poster used in Portland, Maine Reusable Cup Campaign. April 2009.
Coast-to-coast distances be damned! The Maine Potters Market, O’Naturals restaurant and Morning in Paris coffee shop, are partnering with Sustainability is Sexy to promote reusable coffee cups in Portland, Maine. MaineToday.com has a great write up online of the ongoing campaign:
“Wednesday, April 22, 2009, is both Earth Day and Administrative Assistants Day. To honor these holidays, the Maine Potters Market will be promoting the use of ceramic, reusable cups by offering coupons for $5 off any mug in our store during the whole month of April. Break the disposable cup habit and reward yourself with a free cup of coffee when you bring your own mug to Morning In Paris Coffee House, April 12-18, and O’Naturals Restaurant, April 19-25. Thanks to these local businesses you can do your part to celebrate Earth Day. Go to www.SustainabilityIsSexy.com for more information on the environmental impact of using disposable cups.”
For Sustainability Is Sexy, this campaign first began back in March. Susan of Ash Cove Pottery, (a participant in the Maine Potters Market Co-op), contacted us seeking thoughts on promoting reusable coffee cups. As the project instigator, Susan already had some serious opinions regarding reusable cups. “As a potter, it’s [reusable coffee cups are] a no-brainer.”
As a coffee lover, its a no brainer for us too. If you’re a coffee house, business, or community interested in promoting reusable coffee cups, then Sustainability Is Sexy can help. Our all-encompassing campaigns are designed by young adults immersed in the coffee culture and well-research. Smart and sexy - we’re the perfect storm when it comes to eco-campaigns. Track us down for more info at SustainabilityIsSexy.com
And for those enjoying the beautiful sights in Portland, Maine - don’t forget to stop and smell the coffee in Old Port. Happy Earth Week!
For close to two years, this group has been declaring that sustainability is sexy. Unfortunately, our website was not. With Earth Day is just around the corner, our team decided some serious house cleaning was in order. The end result? A 3 minute video titled “What’s So Great About Reusable Coffee Cups?“.
Besides the new powerpoint show, our online store has been updated as well. We finally caught up to 1999 and added a shopping cart system, so cups can be ordered online. FYI, all shipping fees, taxes, and other nickle ‘n dime charges are included in the listed price. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly, well made, and sustainably sexy coffee cup - then we have it!
A Quick Note: Last week I was invited to be a guest speaker during an Earth Day event hosted by a group of students at the University of Kansas. The group - Students for Bar Recycling - is making some amazing progress on instituting a serious recycling program in their city. I’m still putting my notes and thoughts together, but a re-cap will be coming shortly.
My father once explained to me why the Grateful Dead was so successful. “The Dead would take their money and pump it right back into their shows. When other bands were comfortable with house sound systems, the Grateful Dead spent a fortune developing a monstrous Wall of Sound that could be heard from a quarter mile away. Phil Lesh’s bass lines were so deep and loud that you didn’t just hear them - you felt them. The Grateful Dead weren’t selfish, they never focused solely on profit, and they cared about their fans and the music community. That’s why Deadheads are so loyal”.
Businesses often talk about customer loyalty. Yet it’s rare for a business to see the type of loyalty that was developed by the Dead. Pepsi-heads? McDonaldites? I think not.
However, some progressive organizations are beginning to take lessons from the jam band, and it’s beginning to show. Peace Coffee, a Minnesota based coffee company, is growing at an annual rate of 20%. This is a great rate during good times… but an absolute miracle considering today’s financial environment. For perspective, China’s growth rate in 2008 was around 10%. Starbucks saw annual growth rates of 27% during the dot-com decade. How is Peace Coffee able to seem unaffected by the financial storm in which we find ourselves? It’s hard to say without being the company accountant, but I have a hunch it’s from a business philosophy that considers a triple bottom line.
The term “triple bottom line” was coined in 1994, but the idea is older than that. Conceptually, a triple bottom line refers to a business practice of measuring and basing decisions on financial performance, ecological impact from company operations, and social effects on workers and their communities. At its reduction, the triple bottom line means caring about people, planet, and profit.
Peace Coffee applies the triple bottom line theory throughout a multitude of business aspects. Regional deliveries are done through bio-diesel vans or by bicycle. The coffee beans are grown by small coffee farmers and cooperatives and certified as fair trade. Peace Coffee’s recently installed coffee roaster is also equipped with a catalytic oxidizer - which burns away hydrocarbons to limit emissions. And these are just the tip of the iceberg. A full enumeration can be found at the Peace Coffee website, here.
The idealists in all of us love stories such as these. But the selfish cynics in the back of our minds are wondering “What’s in it for the business?”. Of course, the immediate effect of Peace Coffee’s triple bottom line will be beneficial to its surrounding environment and communities. The benefits even spread to small fair trade farmers and help pump money into eco-sound businesses, such as bio diesel companies. But the practice also develops long-lasting customer loyalty and relationships. Today’s customers are demanding that businesses be more personal, and more socially and environmentally conscious. Every time Peace Coffee delivers a product by bicycle, their meeting that specific consumer demand. And just like the Grateful Dead, Peace Coffee is cultivating a community and developing a loyalty that can weather a financial storm.
Of course, the pendulum can swing both ways. Metallica, the guitar-slinging antithesis to the Grateful Dead - learned this lesson a decade ago. Metal-heads all remember when Metallica prioritized profits over its fans by suing Napster for enabling music piracy in 2000. The legal action created an exodus of hard rock fans, some of whom had been fanatically loyal since the band’s early days. Years later, people are still bitter and CD sales have never recovered. In 2007, Metallica was named #17 on Blender’s list of “biggest wusses in rock”, citing its lawsuit against Napster. And the 1990’s remain Metallica’s glory decade, with the band’s 2003 release selling only 2 million copies (compared with 14 million for 1991’s “Black Album”).
“Selling Out” can hit business just as bluntly as a hard rock band. Nike’s choice to prioritize profits over social responsibilities by using sweatshop labor caused an uproar in 1997 among consumers. Social justice groups sprang up to protest Nike and demand boycotts. Even my alma mater experienced protests and many student groups demanded that the university athletic programs refrain from outfitting teams with Nike products. The negative publicity was a nightmare for Nike’s PR department, and the company’s reputation has remained stained ever since.
In the end, it truly depends on consumer demands. Consumers are evolving. We’re placing demands to businesses that are more complex than “cheaper and better”. Customers have become more engaged in many aspects of business. We want to see Company Social Responsibility Reports, we want to know carbon footprints, and we want to know that our money isn’t having a negative impact somewhere in the world. So do the other bottom lines truly count in the business world? For Peace Coffee and others, the answer should be a deafening YES.
Peace Coffee riders stay sustainable with reusable coffee mugs
Sustainability Is Sexy Plug:
Our online store is once again having a discount sale. Order any T-shirt, tank top, or canvas grocery bag by February 11th and receive a 14% discount. If you’re looking for a Sustainability Is Sexy reusable coffee mug, email support@sustainabilityissexy.com.
If you had the chance to sit down with the Starbucks’ Director of Environmental Impact, what would you ask him? This thought was racing through my mind as I turned into the parking lot of Seattle’s world famous coffee company. The opportunity to meet with Starbuck’s Director Jim Hanna had come with a turn of luck. An SIS blog post titled “Investigating Recycling and Starbucks” had made its way into the coffee giant’s headquarters, and Jim had emailed me a response. Now, I was getting ready for a face-to-face interview to talk about the environment, paper cups, coffee, and Starbucks.
Like any other global company, Starbucks has fallen under scrutiny when it comes to its environmental impact. And like other global companies, they have pushed back with environmental initiatives and programs. Was Starbucks guilty of green-washing, or did the company truly care about the impact it had on our environment?
Environmentalism is essential to our core business, Jim explained while sipping a Tazo tea. At its heart, Starbucks is an agriculture business. Its success relies on a steady supply of coffee beans from around the world. The beans which Starbucks buy must meet certain quality and price considerations. Coffee farmers depend on highly specific climates and growing practices to meet those standards. Eco-harming pesticides can ruin the coffee flavor. And climate change could drastically alter the price we coffee lovers pay for a latte. For Starbucks, being green is akin to long-term survival.
Environmentalism is more than just coffee beans for Starbucks. “What about the eco-impact of disposable paper coffee cups?” I asked over my sandwich. After all, the 16 billion paper coffee cups used in the US every year add up to a lot of landfill garbage and consumed natural resources. Jim pointed out that Starbucks was the first company to offer paper coffee cups partially made from recycled content. The cups, 10% of which is post-consumer recycled fiber (PCF), is estimated to save tens of thousands of trees, a half million gallons of wastewater, and several million pounds of garbage from being trucked to landfills.
“Why only a 10% PCF cup?” I ventured. “Wouldn’t a 100% cup be 10 times better?” Jim explained that the technology to make a higher PCF content cup just isn’t viable today. The main problem stems from differences in the fibers of recycled paper. Recycled paper fibers are shorter than those in non-recycled paper. This means that a coffee cup made using recycled fibers requires more paper pulp. And as more recycled content is added – more paper is used – economists call this the law of diminishing returns. We may one day see a cup made completely of recycled paper - but the technology needs to catch up first.
The sugar coating is that the new cup technology is not patent protected. Coffee chains, local coffee stands, and even college campuses can now purchase disposable cups made of 10% recycled paper. Jim hopes that more companies will begin using the 10% PFC cup – leading to a domino effect of environmental benefits.
Of course, the post-consumer recycled cup isn’t the only solution. The “Ecotainer”, a compostable corn-based cup, was debuted in 2007 by Tully’s Coffee and International Paper. Since its introduction, the cup has been well received. Did Starbucks choose the wrong cup?
Jim pointed to some major issues with corn-based cups that didn’t fit well with Starbucks. Firstly, the compostable cup shifts the eco-responsibility from the company to the coffee-drinker. For a corn-based cup to have an effect, the consumer needs to throw the used cup into a compost bin. No compost bins around? Uh oh, then that compost cup is destined for a landfill.
For Tully’s and other local coffee shops this wasn’t a big issue – composting is a growing movement throughout Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. But Starbucks is a global company that needs global ideas, and composting just isn’t being done on a global scale …yet. That’s not to say Starbucks is anti-composting. My lunch from Starbucks Headquarters was wrapped in compost-friendly packaging. And judging by the overflowing compost bin – and the nearly empty garbage can next to it – it seemed the compost idea is a hit with corporate employees.
Jim also noted that corn-based products can have other unforeseen consequences. Mexican citizens staged riots in 2007 because of high tortilla prices brought on by high corn prices. Many blamed the high prices on a soaring demand for corn to provide for the US with biofuels. Even in the US, consumers have seen food prices increase dramatically. Considering that Starbucks serves up 2.3 billion coffee cups a year, perhaps we should all be glad for the pass on compostable cups.
By choosing a disposable cup with recycled materials, Starbucks avoids both of those problems. According to Jim, Starbucks’ 10% PFC cup helps “close the demand loop” for recycled materials and will ultimately help stimulate the recycling business – a worthy cause in my book. The recycled content hot cup also guarantees a better eco-impact than standard cups, regardless of compost bin convenience.
In the near future, Jim hopes to see even bigger environmental policies enacted at Starbucks. Over the next year, Starbucks will reestablish ceramic cups as their standard for serving coffee, and pursue strategies to offer recycling throughout their stores. The company also participates in a variety of environmental coalitions to find solutions to sustainable packaging, supply chain sustainability, and creating the ultimate “to-go” cup – one that can be fully recycled.
And for customers who bring their own cups? Jim hopes to increase the number of BYOC customers by tenfold by 2010. He wasn’t ready to share the company’s strategy to make this happen, but who knows? Maybe a Sustainability Is Sexy campaign is just what an eco-friendly Starbucks needs.
They say half of all new businesses fail within the first year. They also say half of those remaining fail within the second year. By the third year, any business owner still around undoubtedly knows how to play the game.
It’s easy to tell if a coffee house is run by one of these vetted business intellects. The tell tale signs are visible almost immediately upon entering the store; ceramic mugs by the espresso machine, or signs urging customers to bring their own coffee cup by the register. By the time I pay for a coffee, the message is clear –this coffee shop thinks disposable cups are bad for business. Being a thrifty consumer, that small discount I earn when I BYOC always puts a smile on my face. But the smile of the coffee shop owner must be in a class all of its own. Thanks for the discount, I think to myself. No, thank you, the coffee shop owner chuckles back.
How are disposable cups bad for business? Truth be told, it’s all because of the bottom line. Disposable cups cost money, and high overhead costs can be fatal to a business. Even more so, offering disposable cups does nothing to enhance customer appreciation, nor does it help a coffee house attract new customers. The coffee industry is already oversaturated with competition – and it’s becoming more important to stand out from the crowd.
These conclusions are illustrated in a study published by Starbucks and the Environmental Defense Fund. The two organizations teamed up in April of 2000 to develop a set of strategies to reduce the environmental impact of serving coffee. In so doing, the group also found that reducing their environmental impact contributed toward better finances in three specific ways:
First, let’s examine the claim that the supporting reusable cups saves coffee houses money. At its heart, it’s a logical claim. After all, when customers BYOC, coffee houses don’t have to pay to purchase disposable cups. This might seem like small savings, but the table below (reproduced from the Starbucks/EDF report) illustrates just how quickly it can add up:
Researchers concluded that Starbucks could save hundreds of dollars a day just by offering reusable coffee cups. Depending on the size of a coffee house’s customer base, the potential savings are impressive.
The second claim - that reusable cups increase customer satisfaction - originates from market research studies published in the same Starbucks/EDF report. Researchers found that 82% of customers surveyed favored reusable coffee cups. These customer noted that reusable cups “insulated coffee well, were attractive, and prevented waste” - all very good reasons. 59% of those surveyed cited environmental concerns as their primary reason for supporting reusable coffee cups. Interestingly, this survey took place in 2000, before global warming became a main-stream issue in the public eye. Chances are that even more customers favor reusable coffee cups in a “post-An Inconvenient Truth” world.
The final claim is that reusable cups can help a coffee business develop an identity to which customers can relate. Marketing people call this “developing brand equity”. Customers may think, I can buy my coffee anywhere, so why should I buy it at this coffee house? The answer is in a company’s brand. For example, drinking a Starbucks coffee has always been more than just coffee. Beginning in the 90’s, that white cup and green logo became part of an image, even part of a lifestyle. Right now, McDonald’s is working to brand its new espresso products as the antithesis of Starbucks. Billboards that state “Espresso served cold, not snobby” are hoping to capitalize on consumers who like their espresso, but don’t identify with the Starbucks image.
So how do reusable cups factor into positive brand equity? Remember that more than half of surveyed coffee drinkers care about the environment, and those same coffee drinkers are looking for businesses with which they can identify. A coffee house which displays support for reusable coffee cups is also branding itself as an environmentally aware and socially conscious business - something which is important to more than half of all coffee drinkers!
Regardless of the environmental implications, it’s hard to ignore the positive financial benefits reusable coffee cups offer. Sustainability Is Sexy offers programs which help businesses transform the potential of reusable coffee cups into real results. More information about these programs can be found at www.SustainabilityIsSexy.com/Join.html.
To steal from conventional investing wisdom – why should a business work to pay for coffee cups, when those coffee cups could be working to pay the business?
Peace Coffee applies the triple bottom line theory throughout a multitude of business aspects. Regional deliveries are done through bio-diesel vans or by bicycle. The coffee beans are grown by small coffee farmers and cooperatives and certified as fair trade. Peace Coffee’s recently installed coffee roaster is also equipped with a 
“Selling Out” can hit business just as bluntly as a hard rock band. Nike’s choice to prioritize profits over social responsibilities by using sweatshop labor caused an uproar in 1997 among consumers. Social justice groups sprang up to protest Nike and demand boycotts. Even my alma mater experienced protests and many student groups demanded that the university athletic programs refrain from outfitting teams with Nike products. The negative publicity was a nightmare for Nike’s PR department, and the company’s reputation has remained stained ever since.
Environmentalism is more than just coffee beans for Starbucks. “What about the eco-impact of disposable paper coffee cups?” I asked over my sandwich. After all, the 16 billion paper coffee cups used in the US every year add up to a lot of landfill garbage and consumed natural resources. Jim pointed out that Starbucks was the first company to offer paper coffee cups partially made from recycled content. The cups, 10% of which is post-consumer recycled fiber (PCF), is estimated to save tens of thousands of trees, a half million gallons of wastewater, and several million pounds of garbage from being trucked to landfills.
Entries (RSS)