For the sake of fairness, I felt compelled to do a little Google searching in order to find out about some of the charitable efforts in which Alterra engages. I found this article. The introductory paragraph, in particular, provides an excellent summary of the situation. My commentary would be that in response to the statement that they have to serve hot drinks in paper cups, obviously that applies only to to-go beverages (and even then, only with qualifications). I'm guessing that by asking each and every customer whether a paper cup or ceramic mug is desired, they could decrease paper cup consumption by 10% or more. To my mind, this is simply a matter of motivation and resolve.
Generally, I am looking for a little more documentation from Alterra and perhaps less imagery. At Beans & Barley this morning, I noticed that the Alterra bulk coffee containers are decorated with colorful art for each variety (good) but the motifs often seem to feature angry-looking people raising their fist (not so good?). It's a free country, but that being said, spare me the heavy-handed serving of ideology. Your job, coffee companies, is to sell me a cup of coffee--or bag of beans, as the case may be--and a smile. If that's too mundane for your taste, maybe you should have become UWM professors or administrators.
I also wonder if the reason for the imagery is not so much concern with the plight of poor Central and South Americans and East Asians as the expectation that it will resonate with Beans & Barley customers.
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