Dive Brief:
- According to a report, Waste and Opportunity 2015: Environmental Progress and Challenges in Food, Beverage, and Consumer Goods Packaging, released by the Natural Resource Defense Council and As You Sow, a shareholder advocacy organization, major food and beverage retailers across the U.S. aren’t doing all they can to produce sustainable options for consumers.
- The report surveys the packaging of 47 fast food chains, beverage companies, grocery stores and consumer goods manufacturers, providing analysis of their practices.
- The groups found that a majority of companies “are coming up significantly short.” The report showed that “brand leadership is sorely lacking, and none of these companies have prioritized” recycling packaging materials or using recoiled paper and plastics.
Dive Insight:
The report concluded that the companies surveyed were “really weak examples of leadership” in regard to sustainability, illustrating that there is much room for improvement for these companies. No company came out on top in the ranking of “best practices” category. Businesses that received a nod for “better practices” included Starbucks, followed by McDonald's.
Starbucks was attempting to increase its recycling rate by 2015, but hurdles—including inconsistent municipal policies and irregular recycling infrastructure—led to issues in attaining that goal. The company reevaluated its plan, prompting it to lower its target recycling rate.
Dunkin’ Donuts was cited in the report as using foam cups to serve its beverages. In 2013, it launched an in-store recycling program after attempts to find an alternative to polystyrene failed. The company reports its current status as still looking for a solution, and it started testing recyclable cups in the fall of 2014.