I was at Peet’s Coffee & Tea today, (same as every day…), and noticed the garbage cans outside the store, stuffed with Peet’s paper cups, plastic cups, water bottles–all that could have been recycled, but were probably destined for regular trash. I asked the barista if they had recycling bins inside the store, (actually I knew the answer, but thought I would ask anyway). She said they didn’t. She explained the only thing recycled at that particular store were the large containers of syrups. Could that be right??
Granted, the garbage cans outside the store are not under the actual jurisdiction of Peet’s, they are provided by the strip mall management company. But come on, how smart would it be for Peet’s to place recycling bins outside their doors–nice looking containers that reinforce their branding–one for plastic cups and bottles, and one for paper cups?
Just last month, Peet’s had an in-store Earth Day promotion, featuring bamboo coffee canisters, re-usable jute shopping bags, and discounts for bringing your own mug. I like the direction, but wouldn’t encouraging customers to recycle –by actually making it easy and convenient to recycle–be a stronger way to demonstrate their commitment to green?
I’m pretty sure just about every customer would use them, wouldn’t you? So perhaps by next Earth Day, if they get the message, they will be launching a 200-store recycling effort. One can only hope.
