K-cup consumers in the United States can expect their single-serving coffees to be friendlier to the environment in 2020. “It’s part of a bigger program to make sure that our environmental footprint is down,” Keurig’s Bob Gamgort told CNBC’s Jim Cramer last week. “Canada has been converted to recyclable K-cups,” Gamgort said on “Mad Money.” “The U.S., which is in process of being converted now, will be converted by the end of next year.” In 2015, Keurig’s non-recyclable, non-biogradable brewing pods sparked cries online to “Kill the K-Cup.”
During Monday’s discussion, Cramer introduced a new focus on sustainability called, “Impact Per Share,” which aims to track companies’ moves to be in step with a growing cohort of environmentally-conscious consumers. As of last year, one out of every four dollars with professional money managers in the U.S., or a total of $12 trillion, was in socially responsible enterprises, according to the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investing.
Cramer asked Gamgort what Keurig is doing to better understand what the new consumer wants. He responded by saying that Keurig Dr Pepper, which came about after the merger of Keurig Green Mountain and Dr Pepper Snapple in 2018, has been listening to customers of different ages and committing to new initiatives. The company, a subsidiary of Europe-based consumer brand conglomerate JAB Holding, last month released the first report from its “Drink Well. Do Good.” campaign.
Gamgort said the program is a part of its commitment to reduce its use of energy, water and solid waste, and use more recyclable products. “We know its not a surprise that younger consumers want healthier products and those products that have a much lower impact on the environment.” Perhaps as a result of this new commitment, shares of Keurig Dr Pepper have climbed more than 11% in 2019. Hopefully other manufacturers will see this bottom line and follow suit.
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