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Letter Asking for Low-Waste Coffee Packaging

Week 34

This week, I learned about the environmental impact of my caffeine habit as well as ways to reduce my waste. While my home brew routine is now waste-free, I know that there is still plenty of plastic coffee and tea packaging that ends up in landfills. So, this week I'm writing to coffee and tea brand, Keuring, and asking them to find a more sustainable way to package their extremely popular single-serve pods.

Please feel free to use this letter as a template to request change from your favorite coffee brand.

Good afternoon,

My name is Ali and my family and I have been Keurig fanatics for over a decade now. We love the simplicity and ease with which we can make single-servings to suit our individual cravings. I am always interested in the seasonal blends, while my husband prefers the most standard coffee flavor.

I'm writing because this year, I made a resolution to reduce the amount of waste I produce and realized that your plastic pods are one of our biggest contributions. My husband and I have switched to the reusable pods, but I know that the disposable plastic ones are still wildly popular.

I've seen that your pods are recyclable in some locations. However, that feels like a temporary solution, since only 8% of plastics are actually recycled. The rest end up in landfills, where they will take hundreds of years to decompose, or in our waterways, where they break down into microplastics that cause 100,000 marine animal deaths every year. Not to mention the manufacturing of plastic uses oil and causes pollution.

I’m aware that nothing can happen overnight, but at least working towards eliminating plastics would be a huge step in the right direction. Perhaps you could look into compostable pods, so that your consumers don't have to sacrifice convenience for sustainability.

It's no secret that plastics have become increasingly problematic and our earth is suffering from the exorbitant amount of waste produced by humans. More and more people are becoming aware of these issues and working towards a brighter, cleaner future for the next generation. I'm sure your consumers would be thrilled to see Keurig take such a strong approach to reducing waste and protecting our planet.

Sincerely,

Ali Hall

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