Rollup the Rim - Making Litterers Out of Losers?

20070307_timmies.jpgThis time of year is marked by the beginning of the thaw, the return of the geese, and if you're a fan of Tim Hortons - a chance to win free donuts and coffee (and if you're really lucky some even more bling prizes).

Last year there was the whole winning-cup-in-the-garbage-3-way-battle for an SUV story that made national headlines. But every year there's a story that doesn't gain the same amount of media attention, but usually comes up - the litter story.

Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of sore losers out there that will gladly make the effort to roll back the rim on the cup, but not make the effort to put litter in its place. Does this contest make litterers out of losers, or do people just litter a lot all the time?

I'm of the mind that there is more coffee cup litter at this time of year, and if I had the time, I'd conduct a local litter study (I counted 14 discarded cups on my trip from work to home yesterday but have no hard stats, obviously).

Here are some numbers I was able to dig up:

20070307_timmies2.jpg- Over 270,000,000 cups are printed for this promotion.

- In 2005, a study found that Tim Hortons cups made up over 20% of Nova Scotia's litter.

- A 2006 online petition asking Tim's for a change in the contest cups only got 512 of the desired 10,000 signatures

Despite going to great lengths to deliver the "don't litter" message to its customers and get involved in community clean up projects, Tim Hortons' cups still end up all over the city streets. Take a walk and scan the ground, checking out planters, the TTC tracks, stairwells, bus shelters, etc. Clearly, their efforts are futile.

What more can Tim's do?

(images: timhortons.com and wikipedia)

Reader Reviews and Comments

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Great piece, Jerrold, on a regrettable problem that seems to be part and parcel with this promotion. Suggestions for Timmy's... uh... make less awesome coffee? Yeah I'm stumped. Although I suppose it's not a bad time to remind the TTC to put the trash cans back on the platforms so I don't have to carry my cup all the way from Kennedy to McCowan and into my office before I can throw it out...

Posted by: Matt at March 7, 2007 7:05 PM

timmy hos sucks anyways,what kind of coffee shop or chain doesnt posess a espresso machine,but thats ok they are canadian right?(fake?),and how is it they have only one blend that tastes the same all the time?,so much for fair trade and coffee grown in other parts of the world, because due to our world and weather not one blend can taste the same every time.just whats in that filtered rat turd coffee anyways?.

Posted by: rp at March 7, 2007 8:35 PM

As a travel mug toting coffee drinker, the environmentalist in me finds this promotion appalling. What a waste.

My preference is to take my mug into Starbucks (when I'm too lazy to make it at home myself). They knock $0.10 off and -- even better -- if you ask for a Tall, you usually end up getting something closer to a Grande.

Posted by: PC at March 7, 2007 9:03 PM

If you're concerned about litter, instead of looking at Tim Hortons, perhaps the answer lies in the lack of functional garbage and recycling bins on city streets?

I bought a bottle of iced tea a week ago down near the St. Lawrence Market. Didn't see a single recycling container until I reached Union station. Several garbage cans of course, just no recycling.

Posted by: Ryan at March 7, 2007 9:04 PM

I find the same with McDonald's and other fast food containers - they are just everywhere...
I am hard pressed to find a vegan sandwich wrapper on the ground somewhere....

Posted by: Jam at March 8, 2007 12:38 AM

Why is finding fair trade coffee in this city so hard?

Posted by: Kate at March 8, 2007 2:13 PM

Well, the solution is to use a travel mug, have promotions for smart people who save money doing so and, as an alternative, encourage companies to switch to http://www.greenshift.ca. (Steamwhistle uses their cups.)

Change has to start cup by cup.

Heather

Posted by: Heather at March 8, 2007 2:35 PM

Pointless article. All of the coffee chains (and fast food chains) are making tons and tons of garbage, not just TH. And people will still buy extreme quantities of coffee regardless of the prizes.

Posted by: Pera at March 8, 2007 9:58 PM

There are several fair trade coffee places around town. They're not everywhere but they do exist and the number of them is growing. Just Us cafe has location in the Beach as well as Queen St (just west of Spadina).

As for the absence of waste bins on the TTC, I know its frustrating, but if you've traveled abroad, you know that these bins were removed for a very good reason - they made easy targets to leave bombs. Instead of dropping my litter, I just put it in my pocket or my pack and wait til an appropriate place to drop it off. I think most people here are as disgusted as I am when I see someone litter on the street. What we need is a better sense of environmental citizenship, not more bins.

Posted by: Aub at March 2, 2008 2:51 AM

Terrorism is hardly a good excuse for not putting litter bins on TTC platforms. If it uses garbage cans with clear plastic bags (like the ones at the fares level) hiding bombs is less of a problem. There are many other good places to hide bombs (like backpacks). Also, having a lot of garbage around the subway is a fire hazard.

Posted by: Andrew at March 6, 2008 12:12 AM

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