Australian convenience retailer, 7-Eleven, has unveiled its most sustainable coffee ever as part of its game-changing partnership with Fairtrade. The move aligns with 7-Eleven’s ongoing commitment to reduce their societal and environmental impact. This week the brand also launches its new packaging made with plants, along with a continued commitment to divert cups from landfill with the continued expansion of their cup recycling program and by offering a discount to customers bringing their reusable coffee cup in store.
“The 80 million cups of coffee that 7-Eleven serve each year will now be 100% Fairtrade certified, making 7-Eleven the biggest Fairtrade certified coffee retailer in Australia,” according to the retailer.
7-Eleven GM of Customer & Insights Julie Laycock says, “This Fairtrade announcement is part of our broader commitment to the environment and a key pillar of the launch of our most sustainable coffee ever. It’s important now more than ever to know where your coffee comes from, and to know it’s traded on fair terms with fair working conditions. This means a more sustainable future for coffee farmers, their communities, and our customers.”
Fairtrade CEO Mike Briers says, “Millions of Australians can now enjoy their coffee from 7-Eleven stores across the country knowing that the beans in every cup are bought on Fairtrade terms, helping many thousands of farmers, workers and their communities benefit.”
7-Eleven’s new hot coffee, Slurpee, and smoothies and frappes cups and lids will be made with plants. Cups will be made from paper and contain a waterproof lining derived from plant starches, that are converted to a polylactic acid (PLA) lining. Lids are made from bamboo and sugarcane pulp. Straws are made from paper.
The continued expansion of the 7-Eleven Cup Rescue recycling program sees collection units in over 680 stores, and now more than 230 schools have signed up to with cup recycling facilities. To date, the Simply Cups program has diverted over 27 million cups from landfill.
As part of the retailer’s continued mission to curb single-use cup waste, 7-Eleven will also offer customers a 50c discount on all coffees purchased with a reusable cup in store.
To celebrate 7-Eleven’s new Fairtrade partnership, the retailer is holding the Fair Ground event – a free, interactive, and multi-sensory event aiming to teach Australians the positive impact of Fairtrade. Fair Ground will be housed opposite the QV in the heart of Melbourne at 217-231 Lonsdale Street, from 12pm on 14 October for two days.
