As tappi attendees sipped on white coffee cups with a green siren logo, brent denniston, starbucks vp of global procurement, said the company is fully aware of the profound effect of its packaging. "our packaging is an asset, but its also a liability," denniston told tappi members and attendees. "what is iconic to our company is our cup, people associate their experiences with the brand through it. But they also associate it with not being environmentally responsible."
"packaging waste is the number one environmental issue to many consumers," he said. At the tappi place may 69 grand hyatt seattle conference, denniston and gail tavill, vp of sustainable development for conagra foods, both spoke about packaging for their brands.
The topic of packaging sustainability and recycling were prevalent in both speeches. Despite a somewhat unmatchable brand loyalty in the coffee space, starbucks still takes heat due to the potential negative environmental impact of its disposable cups. Starbucks paper coffee cups, partially made from recycled content, are constructed with a polymerbased liner to prevent hot liquid from leaking.
