Letter to United Bank about Garbage festering in their parking lot, along fences and inside bushes

Letter written to the United Bank on the corner of Lee Highway and Harrison Street in Arlington, VA.

3/27/2017

United Bank

5350 Lee Highway,
Arlington, VA 22207

To Whom It May Concern at United Bank,

 My daughter and I created Project PUT: Pick Up Trash.  We pick up trash and advocate for others to do the same.  We also advocate for recycling, a reduction of waste in general, and for people to avoid littering in the first place.  I frequently walk by your building at the corner of Lee Highway and Harrison Street.  It is a daily heartbreak to see litter packed along the fence that separates your property and the home next to it, all in the bushes in the middle of the parking lot, and the bushes that reside on the corner by the sidewalk.  I picked some of it up as a service to the community.  But there was plenty left in the bushes.  The garbage allowed to fester on your site looks terrible and does not speak well for your business with no one caring enough about how bad it looks (never mind how bad litter is for the environment) to pick it up.

In addition, I tried to submit this note to the email form on your contact page to find, after several tries and a call to one of your 800#s (which was also very difficult to get through to because of the many “press this or press that” options that did not include the option I was looking for which was just to talk to a human being), that your website takes emails only between the hours of 8:30 am and 5pm?  Its as if United Bank was doing everything possible to prevent customer interaction.

My every experience with your company so far has been frustrating and off putting with United Bank garbage dump parking lot and obstructionist customer service.

Maybe you could try to do a little better.

Sincerely,

Emily Gleichenhaus

Project PUT: Pick Up Trash
Arlington, VA

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Related Posts, Information, and Links

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Writing and Calling Companies About Their Packaging
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Project PUT: Pick Up Trash on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ProjectPUT/
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Project PUT: Pick Up Trash on Pinterest:
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Project PUT: Pick Up Trash Blog:
https://projectput.wordpress.com/

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Project PUT: Pick Up Trash Online:
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Project PUT: Pick Up Trash on Twitter
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Great PUT Stuff Found Online

These are PUT and Related Environmental efforts and information that I’ve found online and posted on this blog.  This is a catalog of all the things I’ve found and posted.  The most recent items are at the top.

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HOW TO GROW FRESH AIR, a video on TED:
https://www.ted.com/talks/kamal_meattle_on_how_to_grow_your_own_fresh_air

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China’s plans for a vertical forest:
https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/videos/10154184865691479/

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France bans plastic cups, plates and cutlery:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-bans-plastic-cups-plates-cutlery-energy-transition-for-green-growth-a7313076.html

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World Economic Forum’s Environmental Video Archive:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/archive/environment/

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An article: 8 BITS OF PLASTIC YOU CAN QUIT RIGHT NOW
http://www.sarahwilson.com/2016/09/8-bits-of-plastic-you-can-quit-right-now/

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Plastic Pollution Coalition “Open Your Eyes” video featuring Jeff Bridges:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9znvqIkIM-A

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Adidas is making running shoes out of plastics harvested from the oceans:
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/adidas-shoes-made-from-ocean-plastic-are-finally-h/

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The Seabin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiy7WQYQyhY

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These two guys who walked form Mexico to Canada and picked up every piece of trash they found along the way:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNuGJY_g-Aq/

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Tesla and Solar City companies introduce roofing that works like solar panels and a batteries that store the power:
https://vimeo.com/189402941

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Great PUT Practices Found Online:
This is a catalog of PUT and Related Environmental efforts and information that I’ve found online and posted on this blog
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/03/25/great-put-stuff-found-online/

*
Project PUT: Pick Up Trash on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ProjectPUT/
@ProjectPUT

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Project PUT: Pick Up Trash on Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/singbooksemily/project-put-pick-up-trash/

*
Project PUT: Pick Up Trash Blog:
https://projectput.wordpress.com/

*
Project PUT: Pick Up Trash Online:
ProjectPUT.org

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Project PUT: Pick Up Trash on Twitter
https://twitter.com/ProjectPUT

 

 

 

 

On TED: How to Grow Fresh Air

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Related Posts

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Great PUT Practices Found Online:
This is a catalog of PUT and Related Environmental efforts and information that I’ve found online and posted on this blog
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/03/25/great-put-stuff-found-online/

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PINTEREST
Project PUT Pinterest page has posts with ideas, pictures, articles, videos and more
https://www.pinterest.com/singbooksemily/project-put-pick-up-trash/

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FACEBOOK
Project PUT Facebook  page has posts with ideas, pictures, articles, videos and more
https://www.facebook.com/ProjectPUT/

3/23/2017 – Emailed Coca-Cola Company about their packaging

This is what I wrote, 3/23/2017
I wrote similar text to both the email contact link/form on their website and the contact form for submitting ideas

Please package your products using materials derived from post consumer waste. Your bottles and cans are used ONCE and then become pollution. The plastics and metal used to make your single use bottles and cans will last a very, very long time. There is a small recycle symbol on your packaging. I hope you can do better than that. I understand cost is always a factor in business. But maybe the Coca-Cola company could be a leader instead in responsible packaging instead of being a leading polluter. Why not make your packaging out of materials derived from post consumer waste or make your packaging out of materials that will biodegrade.

 

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3/24/2017 Response from Coca-Cola

I had submitted this comment to both the IDEAS page and the COMMENTS page and got a response from each.

Response from the EMAIL submission:

From the email submission:
Thank you for contacting our Web site, Ms. Gleichenhaus. We appreciate your interest in The Coca-Cola Company.

Your comments are appreciated and will be shared with the appropriate management.

If you have additional questions or comments, please feel free to contact us again.

Dominique
Industry and Consumer Affairs
The Coca-Cola Company

Please use the record number below should you have additional questions.

Response from the IDEAS submission

Thank you for contacting The Coca-Cola Company, Ms. Gleichenhaus.  We appreciate your interest in our Company.

Because of our worldwide visibility, we receive many unsolicited suggestions from persons outside of our Company.  We are complimented that our consumers are interested enough in our Company to want to help us improve our performance.  At the same time, however, we are unable to consider any submissions from persons or business groups outside our Company when the submission relates to advertising, sales promotions, formula modifications for any of our brands, or concepts we have previously reviewed.

We recognize that having such a policy may occasionally cause us to miss an opportunity for good suggestions from our friends outside the Company.  However, experience has shown us that our policy is the best course to follow.  The result is that we cannot consider your suggestion.

We wish to emphasize that although we cannot consider your idea, this in no way reflects on its merit. 

It may interest you to know that working with our supply chain partners, The Coca-Cola Company has developed a new PET plastic bottle made partially from plants. The “PlantBottle™” is fully recyclable, has a lower reliance on a non-renewable resource, and reduces carbon emissions, compared with petroleum-based PET plastic bottles.

Traditional PET bottles are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource.  The new bottle is made from a blend of petroleum-based materials and up to 30 percent plant-based materials.  Initially, we will use sugar cane and molasses, a by-product of sugar production, for the “PlantBottle™.”   For future generations of the “PlantBottle™”, we are looking at using other plants and plant wastes, such as wood chips, corn stover or wheat stalks.  Our vision is to develop and commercialize PET plastic bottles that are made completely from renewable resources and are recyclable.

For more information please visit our Company page:
http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/great-things-come-in-innovative-packaging-an-introduction-to-plantbottle-packaging

If you have additional questions or comments, please feel free to contact us again.

Jahniah
Consumer Interaction Center
The Coca-Cola Company

I am encouraged by the link they provided and will investigate.

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Related Posts, Information, and Links

*
Writing and Calling Companies About Their Packaging
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/writing-and-calling-companies-about-their-packaging/

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Project PUT: Pick Up Trash on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ProjectPUT/
@ProjectPUT

*
Project PUT: Pick Up Trash on Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/singbooksemily/project-put-pick-up-trash/

*
Project PUT: Pick Up Trash Blog:
https://projectput.wordpress.com/

*
Project PUT: Pick Up Trash Online:
ProjectPUT.org

TAKING ACTION: Writing and Calling Companies About Their Products and Packaging

I decided to try to frequently write, email or call companies to ask them to please use as close as possible to 100% post consumer waste in creating their products and packaging.   We at Project PUT pick up products and packaging that people have carelessly littered, creating unsightly pollution. We feel that products and packaging should be made from post consumer waste, that they should be recyclable or biodegrade. Additionally, all packaging should be marked to encourage people to recycle and never, ever litter..

PS:  Please, please do not purchase products that contain plastic microbeads, don’t participate in balloon releases, write companies and retailers to eliminate plastic packaging, don’t use plastic glitter, do your best to limit or climate the plastic waste you generate.

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DOCUMENTATION OF ACTION

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1/24/2019
Barilla’s Heinous Tortellini Packaging
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2020/01/24/barillas-heinous-tortellini-packaging/

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5/10/2019
Product Comment to Colgate about Packaging
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2019/05/10/product-comment-to-colgate/

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4/29/2019
Writing Kraft/Heinz about their despicable packaging and use of palm oil (which destroys habitat of endangered species) as an ingredient
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2019/04/29/writing-kraft-heinz-about-their-despicable-packaging-and-use-of-palm-oil-which-destroys-habitat-of-endangered-species-as-an-ingredient/

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4/29/2019
Writing Olay Company about their despicable packaging, 4/29/2019
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2019/04/29/writing-olay-company-about-their-despicable-packaging-4-29-2019/

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4/27/2019
Asutra Mist Your Mood Lavender & Chamomile (to reduce stress), frustrates and stresses and comes in plastic
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2019/04/27/astura-mist-your-mood-lavender-chamomile-to-reduce-stress-frustrates-and-stresses-and-comes-in-plastic/

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4/24/2019
PUT Plastics Letter to BRANDLESS 4/24/2019
https://wordpress.com/post/projectput.wordpress.com/1238

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3/23/2019
Demand and end to use of palm oil
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2019/03/23/demand-and-end-to-use-of-palm-oil/

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3/23/2019
Red Sun Farms, some good paper tray packaging (and, sadly, some plastic)
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2019/03/23/red-sun-farms-some-good-paper-tray-packaging-and-sadly-some-plastic/

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3/15/2019
Note to Hippie Organics about Plastic Packaging
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2019/03/15/note-to-hippie-organics-about-plastic-packaging/

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3/6/2019
Audubon.org, of all orgs, sent plastic in the mail!
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2019/03/06/audubon-org-of-all-orgs-sent-plastic-in-the-mail/

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3/6/2019
Writing comment to Glad Cling Wrap Ads on Facebook
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2019/03/06/writing-comment-to-glad-cling-wrap-ads-on-facebook/

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2/27/2019
I wrote a comment to Tresemme/Unilever about their packaging via an online survey
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2019/02/27/2-27-2019-i-wrote-a-comment-to-tresemme-unilever-about-their-packaging-via-an-online-survey/

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11/25/2018
Delicious French’s Fried Onions (and their horrible packaging and palm oil ingredient)
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2018/11/25/delicious-frenchs-fried-onions-and-their-horrible-packaging-and-palm-oil-ingredient/

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10/30/2018
Kudos! Mother Earth Organic Mushrooms Uses Terrific Paper Packaging
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2018/10/30/kudos-mother-earth-organic-mushrooms-uses-terrific-paper-packaging/

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10/6/2018 PUT Note Regarding Cherub Tomatoes Plastic Packaging
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2018/10/06/10-6-2018-packaging-note-to-cherub-tomatoes/

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9/18/2018
9/17/2018 Project PUT Packaging Note to Chobani Yogurt
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2018/09/18/9-17-2018-project-put-packaging-note-to-chobani-yogurt/

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7/20/2018
Comment to Chobani Yogurt (per the environmental damage of their single use plastic packaging)
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2018/07/20/comment-to-chobani-yogurt/

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6/11/2018
Comment to ZipLock Bags (create a market for and use post consumer waste in your products)
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2018/06/11/comment-to-ziplock-bags/

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4/3/2018
Another Note to Starbucks about Recycling
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2018/04/03/4-3-2018-another-note-to-starbucks-about-recycling/

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12/6/2017
Starbucks’ irresponsible, polluting product packaging submitted to Starbucks Customer Service Contact Us form
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/12/06/comment-about-starbucks-irresponsible-polluting-product-packaging-submitted-to-starbucks-customer-service-contact-us-form/

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10/5/2017
Fresh Gourmet Product Packaging
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/10/05/fresh-gourmet-product-packaging/

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9/26/2017
Asking Best Pet Products, Inc.: Shouldn’t dog poop bags be made of post consumer waste?
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/09/26/shouldnt-dog-poop-bags-be-made-of-post-consumer-waste-i-asked-the-seller/

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9/8/2017
Asking OXO company to manufacture their products using post consumer waste
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/09/08/asking-oxo-company-to-manufacture-their-products-using-post-consumer-waste/

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8/7/2017
Comment to Safeway: Please offer biodegradable bags and make it easier to bring reusable grocery bags from home
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/08/07/comment-to-safeway-please-offer-biodegradable-bags-and-make-it-easier-to-bring-reusable-grocery-bags-from-home/

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7/21/2017
Asking JR Watkins company for product refills and post consumer/recycled packaging
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/07/21/asking-jr-watkins-company-for-product-refills-and-post-consumerrecycled-packaging/

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6/21/2017
I wrote Starbucks hoping they will help reduce the wasted (and toxicity of the waste) produced by their stores:
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/06/22/a-note-to-starbucks/

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6/1/2017
I wrote Jeff Bezos of Amazon to please be a world leader in sustainable packaging that is made of post consumer waste and that is labeleld in a way to encourage customers to reduce, reuse, and recycle
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/06/01/a-note-to-jeff-bezos-at-amazon/

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4/20/2017
I wrote Crest toothpaste about the materials used to make their tubes
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/04/20/writing-crest-toothpaste-about-the-materials-they-use-to-make-their-tubes/

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4/14/2017
I wrote Campbell Soup Company
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/04/14/today-i-wrote-campbell-soup-too/

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4/14/2014
I wrote Ocean Spray Company
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/04/14/today-i-wrote-ocean-spray-asking-them-about-sustainable-farming-and-why-pesticides-are-preferable-to-health/

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3/23/2017
Today I wrote an email to Coca-Cola company
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/3232017-emailed-coca-cola-company-about-their-packaging/

 

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Related Sites

Project PUT: Pick Up Trash on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ProjectPUT/
@ProjectPUT

Project PUT: Pick Up Trash on Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/singbooksemily/project-put-pick-up-trash/

Project PUT: Pick Up Trash Blog:
https://projectput.wordpress.com/

Project PUT: Pick Up Trash Online:
ProjectPUT.org

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Related Posts

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TAKING ACTION: Writing and Calling Companies About Their Packaging
https://projectput.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/writing-and-calling-companies-about-their-packaging/

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PROJECT PUT PROGRESS AND PERFORMANCE
https://projectput.wordpress.com/put-achievements/