"They're being reactive," said Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president of As You Sow. They have been trying for years to get Dunkin' Donuts to get rid of their foam cups. "They're in a comfortable spot because they've made the commitment, and now they say they're just trying the get the logistics right."
Read MoreThe pressure on pharma is not likely to die down. Recently, a non-profit “As You Sow” launched a campaign to push pharma companies to pay for take-back programs. The nonprofit sent a letter to the heads of ten pharmaceutical firms asking the companies to issue policy statements, notes STAT. It also placed shareholder resolutions calling on three drug makers to review their policies on take-back programs.
Read MoreAs You Sow recently sent a letter to the heads of ten pharmaceutical firms on behalf of the funds asking the companies to issue policy statements on drug take back programs. These programs are designed to reduce environmental contamination and lower the risk of prescription drug abuse from unused drugs.
The non-profit As You Sow is building on this local interest and hopes to force companies to address the disposal problem. In its letter, the group asks for companies to develop policies on the take back of unused drugs.
In addition, As You Sow has proposed shareholder resolutions requiring that Merck, Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie pay for the take-back programs. The reception from the three companies has been relatively cold, with all three drugmakers recommending shareholders vote against the proposals, according to Stat.
Read MoreCome May 18, at the company's annual meeting in suburban Lincolnshire, Mondelez shareholders will vote on a proposal introduced by As You Sow, a California-based nonprofit that challenges corporations on social and environmental issues. The group has brought similar proposals to Mondelez investors for the last three years, receiving about 28 percent support last year.
"We are sending a message here that's slowly catching on," said Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president of As You Sow. "We'll see what happens."
Oreo and Chips Ahoy cookies are "increasingly packaged in flexible film or other plastic packaging, such as pouches, that are not recyclable," according to As You Sow's proposal.
As You Sow is requesting a report that would assess the environmental impact and financial risks of using nonrecyclable packaging and set a timeline for phasing out such materials.
As You Sow doesn't typically buy shares of a given company directly, instead partnering with like-minded shareholders who sign off on the group representing their interests, MacKerron said.
"Over the years, McDonald's has engaged in constructive dialogue with As You Sow on a variety of topics, such as a multistakeholder project to address supply chain working conditions in Chinese toy factories and general conversations with updates on McDonald's packaging," McDonald's spokeswoman Lisa McComb said in an email.
The proposals are intended to "forestall harm, create value for the company or hopefully both," said Danielle Fugere, president and chief counsel of As You Sow. And even shareholder proposals that receive very little support can start a conversation within a company.
"It's an important process no matter what the outcome is in a given year," Fugere said.
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