BURLINGTON, Mass. and
PLANO, Texas, June 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Keurig Dr
Pepper (NYSE: KDP) today announced unified Corporate Responsibility
(CR) commitments to deliver positive impact, less than one year
following the merger of Keurig Green Mountain and Dr Pepper Snapple
Group. KDP's new "Drink Well. Do Good." CR platform
was developed following extensive analysis across the Company's
expansive hot and cold beverage operations, and is focused in four
areas where, as a combined company, KDP can drive the greatest
impact:
- Environment;
- Supply Chain;
- Health and Wellbeing; and
- Communities.
Commenting on the announcement, KDP Chairman & CEO
Bob Gamgort stated, "As we formed
Keurig Dr Pepper 11 months ago, we recognized the unique
opportunity to assess our combined footprint, address the urgent
issue of plastic waste in the environment and, ultimately, create a
positive impact on the people and places we touch. The result is
our new vision for corporate responsibility, backed up by specific
goals that will set the pace for our transformation."
"The entire KDP organization has quickly united behind our new
"Drink Well. Do Good." platform, and we are eager to harness
the power of our more than 25,000 employees in this important
work," stated Monique Oxender, KDP
Chief Sustainability Officer. "Our new goals build from existing
programs such as our conversion to recyclable K-Cup pods – already
complete in Canada and on track to
complete in the US in 2020 – and expanded partnerships with leading
organizations like The Nature Conservancy and the Closed Loop Fund.
We will seek opportunities to rapidly test, learn and apply to meet
the urgent need for action and to create positive, lasting change
for generations to come."
Environment
KDP is firmly committed to reducing
its environmental footprint while restoring resources for a
circular economy. Eliminating packaging waste is a top priority,
with a focus on holistic solutions that start with smart design for
recyclability or compostability and reducing the amount of material
used. KDP strategies are designed to close the loop through use of
recycled content and broad engagement and investment to improve and
increase recycling in communities across North America. In
addition to reaffirming that it remains on track to make all
K-Cup® pods recyclable by the end of 2020, the Company is
introducing the following new packaging goals:
- Convert to 100% recyclable or compostable packaging by
2025
- Use 30% post-consumer recycled content across packaging
portfolio by 2025
With the announcement of these goals, KDP will also become a
signatory to the "New Plastic Economy Global Commitment," an
initiative of The Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Reflecting the
urgency of the issue, KDP is expanding collaboration with a number
of stakeholders – including industry groups, NGOs and investment
firms – to move the Company's packaging commitments beyond
independent ambitions to collective action. This includes key
partnerships and investments with The Recycling Partnership (TRP),
the Closed Loop Fund (CLF) and, as a founding member, the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF)'s new ReSource: Plastic activation
hub.
Erin Simon, WWF's Director of
Sustainability R&D commented, "ReSource: Plastic seeks to help
companies translate aspirational commitments into meaningful and
measurable action on plastic waste. Keurig Dr Pepper's leadership
role within ReSource will strengthen the data-driven and
collaborative foundation of the activation hub, and will hopefully
inspire a sea change across other companies as we work to stop the
flow of plastic into nature."
KDP is striving for zero waste and positive impact across the
Company's entire footprint by focusing on all environmental impacts
and natural resource use. Today, the Company is introducing
the following new unified environmental goals:
- Send zero waste to landfill across our operations by
2025
- Obtain 100% of electricity from renewable sources by
2025
- Improve our water use efficiency by 20% by 2025
- Partner with our highest water-risk operating communities to
replenish 100% of water used for our beverages in those communities
by 2025
In addition to the KDP commitment to 100% renewable electricity,
the Company is joining the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)
to develop new, unified comprehensive carbon reduction goals in the
future.
Supply Chain
KDP will continue to be a leader
of sustainable practices in the coffee supply chain, engaging
suppliers, farmers and both local and international organizations
to benefit coffee farmers and their communities in the short and
long term. The company is the largest buyer of Fair Trade™ coffee
in the world and is working toward achieving its commitment to
responsibly source 100% of its coffee and brewers by 2020.
KDP's social impact investments have reached more than 630,000
people in coffee communities, increasing farmer yields,
profitability and resiliency, and the Company is on track to meet
its previously set goal of significantly improving the lives of
1 million people in its supply chain by 2020.
"We are forever grateful to Keurig Dr Pepper. Having a leader in
the coffee industry recognize that a long-term sustainable future
for coffee depends on agricultural research blazed a trail for the
rest of the coffee industry to follow," said Tim Schilling, Founder, World Coffee Research.
"The result is an amazing collaboration to create a nonprofit,
global coffee research center that will hopefully change the future
of coffee."
KDP is continuing to explore how the model of engagement and
impact it has long applied to coffee can apply to its newly
expanded supply chain, including commodities such as aluminum,
apples, corn and other sweeteners, and is working to set broader
responsible sourcing goals beyond its coffee commitments in the
future.
Health and Wellbeing
KDP is committed to
providing a balanced portfolio of beverage options and the
resources consumers need to make informed choices for themselves
and their families. Our growing portfolio contains more low-
and no-calorie choices than ever before, and new smaller-size
options are available across our family of brands. The
Company will partner with leading organizations to accelerate
portfolio innovation and transparency for health and wellbeing.
This includes continued industry collaboration with the American
Beverage Association and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation
for the Balanced Calorie Initiative, with a collective industry
goal to reduce beverage calories 20% per person nationally by
2025.
Communities
KDP is committed to giving back and
engaging its employees to build stronger, healthier communities.
The company invests in meaningful ways in local communities, with a
goal to provide play opportunities to 13.5 million children and
families by 2020 through its Let's Play initiative, a
collaboration with national non-profits KaBOOM! and Good
Sports. Since 2011, KDP has led more than 100 community
playground build projects in underserved areas and has provided
grants to build or improve more than 2,300 play spaces across the
U.S., Canada and Mexico. In addition, KDP has provided
more than 1,700 sports equipment grants to youth-serving
organizations in need.
For more information on the company's corporate responsibility
strategy commitments, visit
https://www.keurigdrpepper.com/en/our-company/corporate-responsibility.
About Keurig Dr Pepper
Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) is a
leading coffee and beverage company in North America, with
annual revenue in excess of $11 billion. KDP holds leadership
positions in soft drinks, specialty coffee and tea, water, juice
and juice drinks and mixers, and markets the #1 single serve coffee
brewing system in the U.S. The Company maintains an unrivaled
distribution system that enables its portfolio of more than 125
owned, licensed and partner brands to be available nearly
everywhere people shop and consume beverages. With a wide range of
hot and cold beverages that meet virtually any consumer need, KDP
key brands include Keurig®, Dr Pepper®, Green Mountain Coffee
Roasters®, Canada Dry®, Snapple®, Bai®, Mott's®, CORE® and The
Original Donut Shop®. The Company employs more than 25,000
employees and operates more than 120 offices, manufacturing plants,
warehouses and distribution centers across North America. For
more information, visit www.keurigdrpepper.com.
Investors
Tyson Seely
T: 781-418-3352/ tyson.seely@kdrp.com
Steve Alexander
T: 972-673-6769/ steve.alexander@kdrp.com
Media
Katie Gilroy
T: 781-418-3345/ katie.gilroy@kdrp.com
Kelly Smith
T: 781-418-7560/ kelly.smith@kdrp.com
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SOURCE Keurig Dr Pepper