Tim Hortons single-serve coffee now packed in new EcoCup™ pods: BC coffee lovers can easily snap, separate and sort to divert waste

Tim Hortons to educate consumers on the recyclability of the company's new K-Cup® compatible coffee pods and work with Multi-Material BC (MMBC) to study how pods flow from homes through the recycling process

OAKVILLE, ON, Oct. 15, 2015 /CNW/ - British Columbia residents have one more reason to love their Tim Hortons Single-Serve Coffee.  Now packed in EcoCup™ pods, consumers can simply snap, separate and sort to divert 95 per cent of pod waste from landfills. The K-Cup® compatible coffee pods, featuring an outer cup made from #6 polystyrene plastic, are accepted in the vast majority of BC recycling programs - residents are encouraged to check with their municipality or recycling service provider.  Tim Hortons is the first major brand to launch a separable recyclable pod.

"Since first launching Tim Hortons Single-Serve Coffee pods we've worked closely with MMBC and our packaging suppliers to improve the recyclability of our packaging, while preserving the premium quality and fresh taste our guests have come to expect from Tim Hortons coffee," says Tammy Sadinsky Martin, SVP Retail, Tim Hortons Canada. "EcoCup™ pods allow consumers to easily snap, separate and sort the components, compost the grinds and recycle the outer plastic cup, where accepted."

From October to December, Tim Hortons is conducting a consumer education and awareness campaign at local malls that will include demonstrations and sampling, engaging consumers in a "pledge" to recycle the Tim Hortons Single-Serve EcoCup™ pod sample they receive. Additional marketing education includes TV advertising, online support including www.timhortons.com/BCrecycles, and features on TimsTV in restaurants.

"After consumers brew their cup of coffee and let the pod cool, all they need to do is snap the tab and peel back the lid, separate the lid and the filter from the outer plastic cup, and then sort the components, placing the plastic cup in the recycling bin," says Sadinsky Martin.  "The lid and filter go in the garbage and consumers can easily compost the coffee grinds in their gardens or compost bins. This enables consumers to divert 95 per cent of the pod waste."

To learn more about the adoption of the new recyclable format, Tim Hortons is working with MMBC, the non-profit organization that finances and manages the majority of the province's residential recycling programs, on a three-month recycling study that tracks how the pods flow from homes to recycling facilities. In early 2016, Tim Hortons and MMBC will share the recycling study results, best practices and key lessons.

"Our MMBC program can capture and recycle the packaging as long as residents separate and remove the organic material," says Allen Langdon, Managing Director of MMBC. "We applaud Tim Hortons for adopting a separable format and driving the consumer behaviour, and we're collaborating with them to track and measure the separation of these pods."

The resulting recycling study will be useful in demonstrating how this packaging could be accepted and successfully integrated into the recycling programs of other municipalities and jurisdictions across North America.

Available in Regular, Dark Roast and Decaf, Tim Hortons Single-Serve EcoCup™ pods feature the restaurant's premium blend coffee made with 100 per cent Arabica beans from several of the world's most renowned coffee growing regions. The Single-Serve EcoCup™ pod collection also includes Steeped Tea. These pods can be found in grocery stores or at participating Tim Hortons restaurants.

Tim Hortons^® Overview
Tim Hortons, part of Restaurant Brands International, is one of North America's largest restaurant chains operating in the quick service segment. Founded as a single location in Canada in 1964, Tim Hortons appeals to a broad range of consumer tastes, with a menu that includes premium coffee, hot and cold specialty drinks (including lattes, cappuccinos and espresso shots), specialty teas and fruit smoothies, fresh baked goods, grilled Panini and classic sandwiches, wraps, soups, prepared foods and other food products. As of July 27, 2015, Tim Hortons had more than 4,700 system wide restaurants located in Canada, the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council. More information about the Company is available at www.timhortons.com.

About MMBC
Multi-Material BC (MMBC) is a non-profit industry-led and financed organization that assumed responsibility for managing residential packaging and printed paper recycling on behalf of industry in May 2014.  MMBC is the first 100% Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program in Canada where industry assumes full financial and managerial responsibility for the residential recycling system. For more information about MMBC's residential recycling program, please visit www.recyclinginbc.ca

SOURCE Tim Hortons

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Hailey DeDominicis
[email protected]
905-337-5361