ANN ARBOR MI, October 6, 2014 – KillTheCup.com, a project of Social Ventures for Sustainability (“SVS”), today announced the launch of the “Kill the Cup” campaign at University of Michigan coffee shops in partnership with Kill-A-Watt.
UM students Kayla Ulrich and Natalie Stevenson, representing Kill-A-Watt, are working together with the team at KillTheCup.com, to implement a campaign aimed at changing consumer behavior by providing incentives for coffee shop customers who bring their own reusable cups to stores rather than throw away disposable cups.
The campaign, which will last from Oct 6 - Oct 31, combines in-store appearances, social media, and traditional media to communicate a message of sustainability to UM students, faculty, and staff.
“We at SVS look forward to our partnership with Kill-A-Watt,” said Drew Beal, co-founder and executive director of Social Ventures for Sustainability. “I couldn’t be more excited about our inaugural group of student teams. They represent a generation that will lead the charge for social responsibility.”
KillTheCup.com uses prizes and contests to promote environmentally friendly behavior among consumers. Customers who bring reusable cups to campus coffee locations can upload photos of their cups to Killthecup.com to become eligible to win gift cards and other prizes.
About KillTheCup.com
KillTheCup.com is a project of Social Ventures for Sustainability, a nonprofit that partners with campuses and communities to encourage environmentally responsible consumer behavior. KillTheCup.com’s campaigns offer prizes and rewards to consumers for behaving in ways that will save them money, reduce waste, and improve sponsoring organizations’ bottom lines.
The pilot KillTheCup.com program launched at the University of California, San Diego, in the spring of 2013. During the eight-week campaign, 351 students uploaded more than 1,000 photos to KillTheCup.com. The percentage of coffees sold in reusable containers rose by 68.6%--from 11.6% to 19.6%. The campaign saved an estimated 1,300 cups, equivalent to 80 pounds of landfill waste, 350 pounds of CO2 emissions, and 350 gallons of water associated with the manufacturing process.
For more information about KillTheCup.com or other Social Ventures projects, please contact Mike Taylor (mike@socialventures.org), or Drew Beal (drew@socialventures.org).