Posts in Waste
YUM! Brands Agrees to Phase Out Polystyrene Foam Packaging by 2022 Following Engagement With As You Sow

In another win for the health of the world oceans, YUM! Brands, Inc., the world’s largest quick service restaurant company, with global brands including KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, has agreed to end use of harmful expanded polystyrene foam packaging globally by 2022, following engagement with As You Sow.

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After As You Sow Dialogue, Starbucks Signals Intent to Move from Single-Use Cups and Plastics to Reusable Packaging

Starbucks Corp., the world’s largest coffeehouse company, has agreed to shift from single-use packaging to reusable packaging, conduct unprecedented research to promote customer behavior change, develop new global reusable container goals, and cut global packaging waste 50 percent by 2030, following months of constructive dialogue with As You Sow.

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Starbucks to Eliminate Plastic Straws Following Strong Investor Support for As You Sow Proposal

As You Sow is pleased to learn via news reports of Starbucks’ commitment to phase out plastic straws at all stores by 2020. A shareholder proposal filed by As You Sow in March, asking the company to phase out plastic straws, received the support of nearly 30% of shareholders, with shares worth $54 billion. In addition, environmental groups collected 1 million signatures on a petition asking for similar action, which was presented to company CEO Kevin Johnson.

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Nearly One-Third of Mondelez International Shareholders Call for Action on Plastic Packaging

Nearly a third of food and beverage giant Mondelez International’s shareholders supported a proposal by As You Sow presented at its annual meeting yesterday asking the company to set a time table to phase out non-recyclable plastic packaging, signaling strong concern that Mondelez is introducing liability to its brand through slow action toward recyclability.

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As You Sow Statement on Dunkin’ Brands Phase out of Foam Cups

As You Sow congratulates Dunkin’ Brands today for choosing a replacement material for its polystyrene foam beverage cups and setting a 2020 date to phase them out. This action will remove nearly 1 billion foam cups from the waste stream annually. Coupled with McDonald’s recent commitment to phase out foam materials globally, these two actions could significantly reduce the amount of single use cups that end up as littered waste on land and in waterways.

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As You Sow Statement on McDonald’s Recycling Goal Announcement

As You Sow congratulates McDonald’s Corp. on its industry-leading goal announced today to recycle all post-consumer packaging in all its restaurants by 2025. This action follows several years of dialogue by As You Sow with McDonald’s as well as quick service peers like YUM Brands, Dunkin’ Brands, and Chipotle asking for in-store packaging to be recycled or composted. 

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