Keurig Dr Pepper Launches New Corporate Responsibility Strategy

Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) 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 hot and cold beverage operations and is focused in four areas:

"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,” said KDP Chairman and CEO Bob Gamgort in a statement. “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," said Monique Oxender, KDP chief sustainability officer, in a statement. "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 U.S. 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 said it 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:

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, nongovernmental organizations 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, the Closed Loop Fund and, as a founding member, the World Wildlife Fund’s new “ReSource: Plastic” activation hub.

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. The company has introduced the following new unified environmental goals:

Supply Chain

KDP said it 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 said it is the largest buyer of Fair-Trade coffee in the world and is working toward achieving its commitment to responsibly source 100 percent 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 one 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 of World Coffee Research, in a statement. "The result is an amazing collaboration to create a nonprofit, global coffee research center that will hopefully change the future of coffee."

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,” according to the company.

KDP said it 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 percent 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 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 nonprofits KaBOOM! and Good Sports. Since 2011, KDP said it 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.