To: Nigel Travis, Dunkin' Donuts CEO, Paul Twohig, Chief Operating Officer, and Dunkin Donuts Corporate Office Headquarters

Tell Dunkin' Donuts: No more styrofoam

No more styrofoam cups. Make it a company policy today.

1.2 million coffees served in styfofoam cups a day! No more poison in our drinks!

On your website Dunkin' Donuts states word for word under the corporate and social responsibility sector, "We recognize that everything we do has an impact on the environment. From the materials we use, to the way we construct and operate our stores, we are committed to adopting better, more sustainable approaches whenever possible. It is possible now. No more styrofoam packaging. No more styrofoam cups.

Why is this important?

Dunkin' Donuts is the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world. In fact, the company sells more coffee than Starbucks. Each day the company serves an amazing 3 million people which leads to yearly sales of 4.7 million.

The problem with this is that Dunkin' Donuts also has made the very dangerous and cheep corporate decision to serve all of their coffee in styrofoam cups.

According to the Earth Research Foundation polystyrene also known as styrofoam is a petroleum-based plastic made from the styrene monomer.Styrene is classified as a possible human carcinogen by the EPA and by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). A voluntary compliance program has been adopted by industries using styrene. The US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration unsuccessfully (a federal court overturned the ruling in 1992) tried to limit the amount of worker exposure to styrene to 50 parts per million (ppm). According to the Styrene Information and Research Center (SIRC). Styrofoam contains many toxic chemicals which leach out of these products into the food that they contain (especially when heated in a microwave or when served with hot food or liquids, including piping hot coffee. These chemicals threaten human health and reproductive systems. There is extensive research in the endocrinological dangers associated with the chemicals found in polystyrene containers. These include increase in breast and testicular cancer.
THE BRIGHT SIDE OF CHANGE-

-Post-consumer recycled paper, bamboo, corn plastics, etc. are easily renewable resources.
-All of these products biodegrade when composted.
-Paper products can be recycled at most people's doorstep where community recycling is in place.
-In 1995, 40% of all US paper was recycled, including 32.6 million tons of paper & paperboard. (EPA)
-Every ton of 100% Post-consumer waste recycled paper products you buy saves:
12 trees
1,087 pounds of solid waste
1,560 kilowatts of energy (2 months of electric power required by the average US home)
1,196 gallons of water
1,976 lbs. of greenhouse gases (1,600 miles traveled in the average US car)
3 cubic yards of landfill space
9 pounds of HAPs, VOCs, and AOXs combined
390 gallons of oil