Sharing Our Commitment for a Better Planet
As a company, we are committed to responsible business practices that are achievable, sustainable and inspiring. We would like to share what we at Keurig, Incorporated are achieving in cooperation with GMCR to brew a better world…for both gourmet coffee lovers and lovers of best practices in corporate responsibility.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) continues to be an integral part of the way we do business. One of our key CSR focus areas is protecting our environment.
Highlights:
- Our parent company, GMCR, allocates 5% of our pre-tax profits to support social and environmental projects in our local and global communities.
- Biodiesel: In 2007, GMCR converted the Waterbury-based route trucks and facilities vehicles to biodiesel.
- Solar: In 2007, GMCR installed a 100kWh solar display on top of the Distribution Center.
Sustainable Packaging
Reducing the environmental impact of our packaging materials and brewing systems is a top priority for Keurig. It is a challenge to create a portion pack that is recyclable and delivers an extraordinary cup of coffee; however, Keurig is actively working to meet this challenge head on.
The K-Cup® package is made up of three main elements -- the cup itself, a filter and an aluminum foil top. The polyethylene coating of the foil - as well as the process of heat-sealing the various elements – makes recycling difficult.
The portion pack composition prevents oxygen, light and moisture from degrading the coffee. Without the barrier the packaging materials provide, we could not maintain quality or freshness.
Specific Efforts to Date
GMCR is actively working with experts in packaging and material science on future improvements in portion pack packaging. Separate from those efforts, we are taking additional steps to reduce the Keurig system's environmental impact, including:
- Nested Packaging We have introduced nested packaging for our K-Cup® portion packs, which we estimate will reduce distribution-related greenhouse gas emissions by over 20%. In addition, the volume of the packaging itself was decreased by 30%.
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We're optimistic about the potential for success of our brew-over-ice beverages. Based on weight, we estimate per serving brew-over-ice K-Cup® portion packs deliver a +90% reduction in transportation and warehousing costs when compared to a 16 oz. plastic ready-to-drink bottle.
- Currently, all K-Cup® portion packs and all water path components of Keurig® home brewers are free of Bisphenol-A (BPA).
- The recyclable parts of our home brewers all have recycling codes on them to help facilitate responsible disposal and all our home brewers comply with the RoHS Directive (www.rohs.gov.uk), a set of European regulations designed to reduce the effect of electronic equipment in the waste stream.
- We are piloting a K-Cup® portion pack waste-diversion initiative in high usage locations that could help us divert a significant amount of spent portion packs out of landfills, converting the coffee grounds into reusable compost and the portion pack into reusable energy.
- We sell the reusable K-Cup® portion pack filter that allows you to use your own coffee in your Keurig brewer. The "My K-Cup" is easily cleaned and compatible with all Keurig home brewers sold today, and allows consumers to utilize their own grounds without the need for the disposable portion pack.
In September 2010 we launched the first tea based K-Cup® portion pack made with paper, a renewable resource.
- The portion pack was made with approximately 90% paper.
- The remaining material was a polyethelene (PE) layer, which was added to the cups and lids.
- While this prevents the portion pack from being recyclable or biodegradable, it enables it to withstand the intense heat that is applied during the brewing process.
- We consider this a positive step as we continue to search for more sustainable alternatives to our current portion pack technology.
However, this product did not meet our performance criteria and is not sold currently. This learning is another step towards sustainability.
BPA
K-Cup® portion packs – K-Cup® portion packs do not contain BPA and are constructed using FDA approved food safe materials.
Brewers – Keurig® brewers produced after January 1st, 2010 do not contain BPA within the water paths and are constructed using FDA approved food safe materials.
RoHS
The RoHS Directive is a set of European regulations designed to reduce the effect of electronic equipment on the waste stream. Europe is at the forefront in introducing regulations to better protect the environment. All Keurig® brewers follow the RoHS Directive's regulations. All At Home and Away From Home brewers are fully compliant. The chart below categorizies each brewer by its date of compliance.
At Home Brewer/Model Series |
RoHS Compliance Date |
MINI/MINI Plus B30/B31 |
September 2010 |
Elite/Classic Brewer B44/B45 |
June 2009 |
Special Edition Brewer B65/B66 |
June 2009 |
Platinum Brewer B76 |
June 2009 |
Select Brewer B77 |
April 2009 |
Away From Home Brewer/Model Series |
RoHS Compliance Date |
B130 |
September 2010 |
OfficePRO® B140/B145 |
June 2009 |
B150/B155 |
December 2009 |
B200 |
September 2010 |
B3000 |
September 2010 | |
Power Saving-Energy Conservation
Many of you have asked if our brewers are Energy Star rated. Even though our brewers are not Energy Star rated, our At Home brewers (excluding the MINI and MINI Plus) all have an Auto-Off feature that when selected turns the brewer off a preset time after the last brew. For the non-programmable brewers, it is 2 hours. For the programmable brewers it is selectable from 1-9 hours. These also feature programmable Start and Stop times. When these features are used they provide considerable energy savings.
Recycling Brewers
We have started to add the appropriate recycling symbols to the plastic parts of our brewers. This will assist both consumers and recycling facilities to properly identify and recycle these components.
Conclusion
All companies have sustainability challenges, a tension between where they are at today and where they want to be with respect to sustainability issues - we're no different in that respect. What we believe makes us different is how we address that challenge – by embracing it, by running towards it, and using that tension to drive us towards new solutions. And we continue striving to get there with our K-Cup® portion pack.
Our parent company, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR), is a leader in developing Fair Trade/Organic coffee blends that are great for coffee lovers, coffee growers, and our planet. Also, GMCR is repeatedly cited for best practices in business ethics.
However, without a "village" approach – industry, municipalities, regulators, and consumers – even the big steps we are architecting seem gradual. We can all agree that our portion packs ask a lot of material science (it's a challenge to create a K-Cup® portion pack that is recyclable and delivers an extraordinary cup of coffee) but finding a more environmentally-friendly approach to this packaging challenge is a big priority for us.
Additional Resources
GMCR Brewing A Better World
Reducing Our Environmental Impact - The Keurig® Brewing System
Contact Information
Sara Mahoney
Communications' Specialist – Corporate Social Responsibility
Email: sara.mahoney@keurig.com
Molly Kelley
Public Relations' Specialist
Email: molly.kelley@keurig.com
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