June | 2017 | Project PUT: PICK UP TRASH

I went to Starbucks with Charlie this morning. They do an amazing business. But the waste generated by their products is overwhelming. I decided to write them:

Dear Starbucks,
I really enjoy your coffee and snacks.
But I am REALLY concerned about the amount of WASTE, especially PLASTIC WASTE generated by your stores.
Can’t you make your plastic cups out of 100% post consumer waste?
That would make you a hero company.
Couldn’t you offer paper straws? That would make you a hero company, too.
Couldn’t you ENCOURAGE the plastic cups to be put in recycle? That would make you a hero company.
Couldn’t you find a way to make your paper cups recyclable?
Couldn’t you at least make your paper cups out of 100% post consumer waste (instead of a sorry 10%)?
You’re smart people. Couldn’ t you figure that out?
And, if you did these things, as an industry leader, you know other companies would follow suit, so your efforts would be multiplied.
PLEASE be a HERO COMPANY!
Please be a leader on this and make things better for earth.

PS: Here’s a link to their Contact Us page:
https://customerservice.starbucks.com/app/contact/ask/

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Related Posts, Information, and Links

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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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I wrote an email to Jeff Bezos at Amazon today. I found an email address for him online. I wonder if he’ll get it. I wonder if he’ll respond. I wonder if he’ll decide to lead the world in innovative, sustainable packaging that is made from post-consumer waste, labelled for what it is made of and that also encourages its customers to reduce, reuse and recycle.

I hope he does.

Here is my email to him:

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6/1/2017

Dear Jeff Bezos,

The US president just announced his intention to remove our country from the ground breaking Paris Accord. The USA, in many ways, does not lead the world any more. We can’t claim moral or intellectual high ground. And what ideals can we point to that most developed nations don’t do better than us? That’s really depressing.

We need to find great leaders somewhere. You are a world leader in online commerce. Maybe you could also lead the world in innovation for a better planet.

Could you start with your packaging? I order products I need (and many I don’t “need”) from Amazon every week and have become concerned about the waste associated with the packaging. Could Amazon PLEASE become a world leader in innovative, sustainable, packaging that is both made from recycled materials and that is also recyclable? You could make sure people know the post-consumer waste used in making the packing materials and you could inspire people to recycle or re-use the packaging in other ways.

Maybe you could also use your status as a leader in online commerce to help delivery companies upgrade their trucks to use electric and solar power for fuel instead of burning fossil fuels.

If Amazon leads the way, other companies will follow. If you lead the way, maybe you can show our government officials that there is a better way to do things than to just give in to trashing the planet with waste. If you lead the way, history will remember the great things you did for not only commerce but also for your leadership and innovation in packaging and delivery in ways that don’t harm the planet. Wouldn’t that be terrific?

I want to feel good about buying things from Amazon. Could you help me (and the Planet Earth) with that?
Will you be a global leader?
Thank you,
Emily Gleichenhaus
Arlington, VA

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Addendum, 6/21/2017

I do order many things from Amazon. I have discovered that if you go to the order section of your account page, you can make your way to a page for leaving packaging feedback for every purchase.