Reflections from Jen
Wednesday’s article about the new, double-walled paper cups from Dunkin’ Donuts elbowed its way to number four on our list of most-read articles from the past sixty days – and it has only been posted for 48 hours. With readership of that article already topping the hundreds of other articles that have been posted for as long as two months, something clearly struck a chord.
I grew up on the East Coast, which means I grew up with Dunkin’ Donuts. When I moved to Colorado in the early nineties, I had no idea that the brand wasn’t a household word out here – and though I don’t eat donuts often, I really missed the coffee. But now, with more than 12,000 global locations, stores are far more ubiquitous than they were then, the brand’s coffee has grown in popularity, and a lot of people seem to love those foam cups that keep the coffee so wonderfully hot.
Is that why the article generated such readership? While Environmental Leader’s readers tend to be passionate about environmental responsibility, and are likely interested in the article because they want to know the business and environmental implications of the switch, others – I just bet – are equally passionate about their coffee and want to know how the new cups will compare in terms of keeping their coffee hot.
In the announcement, Dunkin’ Donuts made sure to say the new, double-walled paper cups will perform comparably to the foam cups in terms of customer satisfaction, so our coffee temperature concerns may be moot. But what the company didn’t get into is how, specifically, the new cups will compare in terms of their environmental impact.
I heard from many readers who wanted to know more: Are the paper cups recyclable? Will there be recycling bins in the stores, and will customers be educated about using them? Are the cups made from recycled materials? Are they compostable? What is the cup lined with? And what about the lids?
With your questions in mind (and with some of my own), I contacted the folks at Dunkin’ Donuts and have been promised some answers next week. So stay tuned for an update in coming days. In the meantime, have a great weekend.
Jen
Jennifer Hermes, Editorial Director
jen@environmentalleader.com