Boston, May 2, 2025 — Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.* (KDP), the retailer of the leading single-serve coffee brewing system in the United States, has agreed to share more information about the recyclability of the plastic K-Cup pods used in its K-Cup brewing system. KDP made this commitment in response to a shareholder proposal from Green Century°, an environmentally responsible mutual fund.
“Investing in more sustainable packaging is a commitment that consumers and investors are increasingly looking for,” said Leslie Samuelrich, president of Green Century Funds. “Given the reputational and legal risks associated with plastic packaging and misleading recycling labeling, Keurig Dr. Pepper should accelerate its transition to more sustainable options as soon as possible.”
KDP has agreed to provide consumers with information on whether their communities accept K-Cup pods for recycling. The company will also make it easier for readers of its sustainability report to understand what it classifies as recyclable. Finally, KDP has agreed to provide more information on the development of its K-Round system, which would make single-serve coffee in compostable, plant-based pods instead of plastic.
What does it mean to be recyclable?
According to the Federal Trade Commissions’ Green Guides, an item is recyclable if it can be “collected, separated, or otherwise recovered from the waste stream through an established recycling program for reuse or use in manufacturing or assembling another item.” In other words, a community must accept it for recycling collection and sufficient end markets must exist to turn the material into recycled plastic.
K-Cup pods are made from polypropylene, a material that more than half of Americans can put in their curbside recycling bins. However, far fewer communities accept these pods because they are hard to sort because they are so small. A 2022 Greenpeace report found that only 1 out of the 375 material recovering facilities (MRF’s) included in the study accepted coffee pods made from polypropylene.
KDP has faced lawsuits over its recyclability claims and was fined by the SEC for misleading shareholders about the recyclability of its K-Cup pods. California already regulates recyclability claims made by companies, and a new law taking effect there in October 2026 that strengthens regulation of recyclability claims.
“We hope this move by KDP will make it easier for customers to access information on the recyclability of K-Cup pods in their communities,” said Frances Fairhead-Stanova, shareholder advocate at Green Century.. “We encourage the company to provide access to this information directly on its packaging.”
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About Green Century
°Green Century Capital Management, Inc. (Green Century) is the investment advisor to the Green Century Funds (The Funds). The Green Century Funds are one of the first families of fossil fuel-free, environmentally responsible mutual funds. Green Century hosts an award-winning and in-house shareholder advocacy program and is the only mutual fund company in the U.S. wholly owned by environmental and public health nonprofit organizations.
*As of 3.31.25, Keurig Dr Pepper Inc comprised 0.00%, 0,15%, and 0.00%, of the Green Century Balanced Fund, the Green Century Equity Fund, and the Green Century International Index Fund respectively. As of the same date, other securities mentioned were not held in the portfolios of any of the Green Century Funds. References to specific securities, which will change due to ongoing management of the Funds, should not be construed as a recommendation by the Funds, their administrator, or their distributor.
You should carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. To obtain a Prospectus that contains this and other information about the Funds please visit www.greencentury.com, email info@greencentury.com, or call 1-800-934-7336. Please read the Prospectus carefully before investing.
Stocks will fluctuate in response to factors that may affect a single company, industry, sector, country, region or the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market. Foreign securities are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, regional economic and political conditions, differences in accounting methods, and other unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Bonds are subject to a variety of risks including interest rate, credit, and inflation risk.
This information has been prepared from sources believed reliable. The views expressed are as the date of this writing and are those of the Advisor to the Funds.
The Green Century Funds are distributed by Distribution Services, LLC. 05/2025.