Every great sustainability story starts with a wrist slap (probably)
At one point in my life, a single-cup coffee brewing machine took up space on my kitchen counter.
It’s not something I’m proud of.
To be fair, I got the thing as a wedding shower gift. True, it was on my registry. But only because my mom had used a similar machine at her friend’s house in Amsterdam once upon a time, and she assured me the pods were biodegradable.
When I unpacked the shiny new device and found out they weren’t (at least in North America), I was too enamoured to return it.
So I clung to a rumour they were recyclable—and made a commitment to put in the work so I could justify drinking that delicious black goodness it every morning.
For years, I diligently peeled that annoying top off of each pod on a semi-regular basis. Emptied the grounds into the compost. And tossed the remaining plastic into the recycling bin.
This time-consuming task was an important morning ritual because it alleviated the guilt that came with watching the collection of pods accumulate in my garbage. I didn’t give much thought to what happened once those pods reached the recycling facility.
Had I known, I likely would have switched to a more sustainable drip coffee machine much, much earlier.
At least, I’d like to think I would have.
RIP, fingernails
Earlier this month Keurig Canada—arguably the most renowned single-serve coffee brand in the country—was fined $3 million by the Canadian Competition Bureau for false and misleading claims regarding the recyclability of its K-Cup pods. (A fine that was thrown down after a similar investigation, with similar findings, took place in the United States.)
I’m assuming, in response to shifting customer sentiments around sustainability, the brand started to play up the recyclability of its pods—it switched from #7 plastic to the more recyclable #5 plastic!—despite the fact they were only widely recyclable in Quebec. Which kinda missed the point, don’t ya think?
The decision encouraged thousands of semi-environmentally-conscious consumers across the rest of Canada to partake in the same morning ritual I succumbed to for so many years. All so those little plastic K-Cups could end up in the landfill anyway. (Side note: According to research done in the UK, of the 39,000 coffee pods and capsules produced globally each minute, 29,000 end up in landfill.)
“Of the 39,000 coffee pods and capsules produced globally each minute, 29,000 end up in landfill.”
I’m guessing a lot of those consumers are now just a little ticked off at the broken fingernails they sacrificed in the name of keeping plastic out of our landfills—as they should be. But it goes far beyond the lost fingernails, too.
Commissioner of Competition Matthew Boswell said it best in his statement:
"False or misleading claims by businesses to promote 'greener' products harm consumers who are unable to make informed purchasing decisions, as well as competition and businesses who actually offer products with a lower environmental impact."
To recycle, or not to recycle?
Unquestionably, Keurig’s brand reputation will need some repairing after this incident. And I’m not entirely convinced the $3 million fine, mandated donation to an environmental charity, change in packaging and website notices informing customers of the ruling is enough.
Especially since Keurig’s response is to continue on the municipality recycling pathway.
"As we continue working with municipalities and the recycling industry to increase K-Cup pod recycling acceptance, we've been evolving our communications with consumers to share that the pods are recyclable in select communities and remind them of the appropriate steps to recycle," said Cynthia Shanks, senior director for communications and sustainability at Keurig Canada.
Anyone who learned the three Rs in elementary school—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—knows that recycling should really be a last-ditch effort on the sustainability roadmap, since only nine percent of plastics actually get recycled in Canada.
The entire response just seems like Keurig is going through the motions, when they really should be using this as an opportunity to invest in sustainability. True, the company did pretty well after the pandemic as people invested in coffee makers for their home offices. But with 77% of consumers looking to make more sustainable buying decisions, it couldn’t hurt to actually give customers what they’re looking for—an eco-conscious option for single-serve coffee.
Here’s an idea
There are a few ways to do this. Keurig could take a page out of Nespresso’s book and ditch the plastic pods for aluminum—which is infinitely recyclable. It could open up its own recycling program to individuals—or find ways to make their business model more circular by reusing the pods. Or it could expand its offering of biodegradable pods and make them the sole pod option.
Look, I’m no coffee expert—and it’s quite likely that these options come with their own environmental repercussions. But I do think this is a prime moment for Keurig to revisit its purpose—and rewrite it in a way that will allow the company to leave the planet a little better than it was before. From there, I’m sure the path forward will become clear.
Of course, simply redefining an organizational purpose and taking the necessary steps to achieve it isn’t really enough. To truly rectify the reputational damage that’s been done—and earn enough consumer trust to repel inevitable accusations of greenwashing—Keurig will have to tell its story by integrating its sustainability journey into its communications efforts.
At this point, if the company ever gets there, I’d recommend taking a page out of Ace and Tate’s book. The eyeware company just issued a refreshingly candid and self-deprecating press release outlining its path to becoming a B Corp—and the mistakes it learned along the way.
This press release took guts—as it went against virtually every marketing comms lesson in existence. It actually acknowledged moments in which the company was more or less disingenuous. It didn’t highlight the wins while omitting the losses. It was completely devoid of the “ra ra we’re the best” messaging that typically accompanies these types of press releases.
And you know what? It was perfect. Because Ace and Tate wasn’t promoting a new line of eyeware. Rather, it was restating its genuine commitment to create a more sustainable company—and inspire transparency in the eyeware industry. It was acknowledging that sustainability isn’t easy—or obvious. That every decision is nuanced—and sometimes you have to choose between the lesser of two evils.
The press release also underlined that sustainability isn’t about perfection, but rather progress. And taking meaningful action—with the best information you have at your disposal—is more important than getting everything right, right out of the gate. After all, it’s your good intentions that stakeholders are looking for.
This is what sustainability communications is all about. It’s about human beings, that run a company, telling other human beings—who are looking to buy, invest, or work for that company—that they’re in it for the greater good. They’re going to do what they can to do their part. And they’re willing to share their lessons—and their missteps—so others can learn from them and make their little corner of the world better, too.