Philadelphia, PA, October 19, 2009 – ARAMARK Refreshment Services has announced a unique sustainability partnership with single-serving beverage provider MARS DRINKS, that will ‘upcycle’ used hot fresh packs into useful consumer products including handbags, laptop carrying cases, backpacks and pencil cases. The program, developed by New Jersey-based TerraCycle, is currently being offered to clients who participate in the FLAVIA® office coffee program.
Upcycling is the process by which products that cannot otherwise be fully recycled are transformed to create new items – lessening the impact on landfills and the environment. According to Jessica Park, national accounts manager for ARAMARK Refreshment Services, several clients are already on board with the fresh pack collection program.
“We are continually working to reduce our environmental footprint while offering expertise and practical solutions to our clients to help them reduce their environmental impacts,” Park said. “Initially, MARS DRINKS came to us with the idea as an extension to its existing eco-friendly programs. They have been very supportive as we implement this initiative at several client locations.”
“At MARS DRINKS we are committed to being ARAMARK’s partner at work and want to provide easy solutions to help their customers across North America meet their sustainability goals,” said Nick Braden, general manager, MARS DRINKS North America. “Our drink options not only satisfy employees’ cravings but also their concerns. In fact, MARS DRINKS is so committed to achieving balance that we pledge a portion of our research budget specifically toward environmentally sound, sustainable product innovation.”
Park added there will be 75 collection bins at approximately a dozen of ARAMARK’s pilot sites that will hold more than 1.3 million used coffee packs on an annual basis. That translates into roughly 18 tons of waste being diverted from the local landfill.
The entire process, from used pack to backpack, is just as simple as making a single-serve cup of coffee. Each Flavia collection box is already marked with a pre-paid UPS postage stamp. Once the boxes are filled, clients have the option of mailing them directly to TerraCycle, or Refreshment Services Route Service Representatives can retrieve them during weekly deliveries. Once the used packets are returned, the plastic nozzle is recycled, used coffee and tea grinds are composted and the remaining packaging is transformed.
Jonathan Peters, senior vice president of operations for ARAMARK Refreshment Services, said the upcycling cooperative is a natural progression of clients asking for more environmentally-friendly solutions when it comes to their vending and office coffee programs.
“ARAMARK participates because sustainability and cooperative responsibility are very important initiatives. In the past, we could only offer clients Fair Trade or shade grown coffees, but we didn’t have a specific solution for the recycling of FLAVIA fresh packs,” said Peters. “Now, the clients and their employees can follow the process from beginning to end and they have the opportunity to significantly reduce their waste stream.”
About ARAMARK Refreshment Services
Through its refreshment services group, ARAMARK provides a wide range of food and beverage services, supplying more than one billion cups of coffee annually to business and industry clients at approximately 100,000 locations worldwide. ARAMARK offers Fortune 500 companies and other large and small employers a single source for office coffee service, water filtration, brand-name beverages, and food and break-room essentials.
About ARAMARK
ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. In FORTUNE magazine's 2009 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," ARAMARK was ranked number one in its industry, consistently ranking since 1998 as one of the top three most admired companies in its industry as evaluated by peers and analysts. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 260,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at www.twitter.com/aramarknews.
About Mars Inc.
MARS DRINKS is a segment of Mars, Incorporated, a private, family-owned company founded in 1911 and employing 70,000 associates in 67 countries worldwide. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, USA, Mars, Incorporated is one of the world’s largest food companies, generating global revenues of $30 billion annually and operating in six segments that produce some of the world’s leading brands. In addition to the Drinks brands above, popular Mars, Incorporated brands include: in the Chocolate segment, M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY ®, MARS®, MILKY WAY®, and TWIX®. in the Petcare segment, PEDIGREE ®, WHISKAS ®, SHEBA ®, CESAR ® and ROYAL CANIN ®; in the Wrigley segment, ORBIT ®, EXTRA ®, STARBURST ®, DOUBLEMINT ®, and SKITTLES ®: in the Food segment, UNCLE BEN’S ®, DOLMIO®, ELBY®, MASTERFOODS ® and SEEDS OF CHANGE®; and in the Symbioscience segment, COCOAPROTM, WISDOM PANELTM MX, and SERAMIS®.
Contacts:
Laura Temple
215-238-6841
temple-laura@aramark.com