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Keurig Dr. Pepper signs pacts to move toward circular economy with plastics

Posted at 7:46 PM, Jan 28, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-28 20:46:18-05

On Wednesday, Keurig Dr. Pepper signed two regional initiatives with the Ellen MacAuthor Foundation’s global plastics pact for the U.S. and Canada to focus on building a circular economy for plastics.

"It’s a circular system with very little byproduct that is not used somewhere in the system. So it's sustainable in a sense so that we don’t waste our resources like we do now,” explianed Dr. Jody Fry, "One Planet Leadership" Graduate Professor at Texas A&M Central Texas.

As a part of signing the pact, Keurig Dr Pepper has agreed to goals including making all plastic packaging 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025.

“When anybody says, "Why? What's this all about?" And I say, "Well, we are using one and half to two times the natural resources than the Earth can replenish. We can only do that so long,"” said Dr. Fry.

A statement released by the soda company said it "recognizes that achieving a truly circular economy for plastics requires significant systematic change, and we are eager to join these groups of diverse leaders from across sectors to ensure that plastics never become waste or pollution."

“Many organizations have made this transition, but the vast majority are still resisting," said Dr. Fry. "Ultimately it takes leaders with a passion to do well by doing good.”

Dr. Fry helped create the “One Planet Leadership” graduate program at A&M Central Texas, and says he is happy to see the leading beverage company in North America taking steps toward sustainability.

In addition to signing the two pacts, Keurig Dr. Pepper also became members of the Oceans Conservancy Trash Free Seas Alliance.