Yesterday was Earth Day, and what better way to celebrate the Earth than to thank people for choosing a sustainable commute by offering free Fair Trade coffee in compostable cups. Mother Nature would be so proud.
A few members of the Global Exchange crew teamed up with BART (Bay Area Transit System), TransFair USA,the Bay Area Fair Trade Coalition and other Fair Trade advocates to brave the early morning skies to pass out coupons for free Fair Trade coffee from Tully’s coffee shop to BART commuters.
This event was a great opportunity to increase awareness about Fair Trade and to thank riders for choosing a sustainable commute. People were flocking to the coupons, happy to hear the words “free” “cup” and “coffee” uttered in the same sentence. They walked away eager to claim their coffee with the knowledge that the cup they are drinking is fair to the farmers and friendly to the earth.
Hope everyone had a lovely Earth Day. How did you celebrate the Earth? While you reflect on that, here are some green facts provided by TransFairUSA on the benefits of giving away those 50,000 coupons:
1. 50,000 BART riders prevent 1,150,000 pounds of greenhouse gases and harmful air pollutants from emitting into the atmosphere each day.
2. 50,000 compostable coffee cups reduce petrochemical plastic use by 12,500 pounds.
3. 50,000 cups of Fair Trade Certified coffee help provide approximately $16,000 of additional income to small-scale farmers, supporting more sustainable livelihoods.