Annual sustainability report outlines accelerated progress towards 2020 environmental responsibility targets and highlights supply chain and community engagement initiatives
Today, Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig), a leader in
specialty coffee and innovative single serve brewing systems, launched
its twelfth annual Sustainability Report. The report’s theme of “Brewing
Transformation™” showcases Keurig’s efforts in local communities and
across the globe in three main focus areas: environmental
responsibility, strong supply chains, and thriving people and
communities.
“As our new sustainability report shows, there’s much to be proud of
here at Keurig,” said Bob Gamgort, Keurig’s Chief Executive Officer.
“Our progress on the sustainability front will enable growth for the
Company, opening doors of opportunity for our employees, our customers,
and our business as a whole.”
In the report, Keurig highlights accelerated progress towards a number
of priority 2020 environmental responsibility commitments, including:
-
targeting a new recyclability milestone, with plans to produce 100% of
K-Cup® pods in Canada in a recyclable format by the end of 2018;
-
meeting its 2020 target to reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions
of brewed beverages by 25%; and
-
near completion of its 2020 goals to balance 100% of the water used in
brewing beverages, and 100% waste diversion from landfill for its
operations across North America.
“We know that reducing the resources that we and our consumers use every
day yields environmental sustainability for our business, and we are
proud of our accelerated progress,” said Monique Oxender, Keurig’s Chief
Sustainability Officer. “Keeping those resources in use, at their
highest value is also critical and delivering on pod recyclability
achieves that in a meaningful way for our products and our communities.”
Additional highlights from this year’s sustainability report include:
Environmental Responsibility
A top sustainability priority for Keurig is ensuring 100% of K-Cup®
pods are recyclable by the end of 2020, and the company is on track to
meet that goal. In addition to announcing its accelerated recyclability
milestone in Canada, the report highlights Keurig’s work to improve
recycling systems and education through investments totaling more than
$1 million a year with partnership organizations such as The Closed Loop
Fund and The Recycling Partnership. Keurig also continues its
award-winning testing at recycling facilities, aimed at helping the
industry understand how K-Cup® pods and other plastic items travel
through recovery equipment so the company can help to catalyze
system-wide change in ensuring those plastics get a second life as a new
consumer product.
Strong Supply Chains
Keurig aims to build strong supply chains and improve the livelihoods of
coffee farmers within its supply chain. For three years, Keurig has
supported Root Capitol’s Coffee Farmer Resilience Initiative, assisting
farmers in fighting coffee rust disease and investing in the quality of
their crops. In total, with the support of additional partnerships with
organizations such as Save the Children and Catholic Relief Services’
Blue Harvest program, Keurig has engaged more than 417,000 people across
its coffee supply chain to improve their farm management techniques,
plan for changes in climate, and strengthen their communities.
People and Communities
Keurig empowers its employees to contribute to their communities and
create positive change in the places where the company does business
around the world. In fiscal 2016, 70% of Keurig’s employees participated
in one of its sustainability programs, including 56 employees who
visited coffee communities in Latin America through the company’s unique
employee source trip program. In addition, Keurig’s Community Action For
Employees (CAFE) program, which entitles every full-time employee to 52
paid volunteer hours annually, continued to see industry-high levels of
participation, with 55% of Keurig’s total workforce taking part in 2016.
Full details of Keurig’s 2016 Sustainability Report can be found at BrewingABetterWorld.com.
For more information about Keurig’s recycling efforts, visit KeurigRecycling.com.
About Keurig Green Mountain
Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig) is a leader in specialty coffee and
innovative single serve brewing systems. Committed to delivering
exceptional coffee for more than 35 years, today our Keurig® brewers and
single serve hot beverages are in more than 20 million homes and offices
throughout North America. In under a minute, Keurig® brewers
consistently and conveniently deliver a fresh-brewed, great tasting cup
with just the push of a button. As a testament to that quality, more
than 50 leading global coffee, tea and cocoa brands have partnered with
Keurig, joining beloved owned brands like Green Mountain Coffee® and The
Original Donut Shop® to offer consumers vast personal choice from 500+
varieties. As a company founded on social responsibility, Keurig is
committed to using the power of business to brew a better world through
our work to build resilient supply chains, sustainable products, and
thriving communities. For more information, visit www.keuriggreenmountain.com,
and to purchase Keurig products visit www.keurig.com
or www.keurig.ca.