“Please cease using any plastic and opt for compostable straws, cutlery, & packaging” — kzacar1
For those of us with an adamant distaste for single-use plastics, its hard to understand why so few businesses opt for compostable products. Our oceans are littered with plastic bags, polypropylene bottle caps, single-use forks and knives, and millions of plastic green straws from Starbucks. When customers expect a business that offers to-go options to also offer to-go cutlery, compostable options seem like the obvious choice to prevent dinglehoppers from being found by our oceanic friends. Compostable products are made of natural plant-based products. They decompose. It’s a no brainer!
Or is it?
kzacar1 is a MoVo (*MoneyVoice user) who uses the app to encourage businesses they shop at to prioritize sustainable waste strategies. We reached out directly to kzacar1 to understand their user experience.
As a surfer and avid traveler, kzacar1 has seen first-hand the damage our addiction to single-use plastic products have on ocean health, and consciously makes daily life decisions to avoid contributing to that problem. That includes supporting earth-conscious businesses, such as Under the Mango Tree.
“I spend a lot of time outside in the sea and on the beach, and it makes me extremely sad to see the waste. I know the effect it has on the oceanic ecosystem,” kzacar1 told us. Using MoneyVoice, kzacar1 left the following feedback to a favorite Miami juice bar:
“Please cease using any plastic and opt for compostable straws, cutlery, & packaging”
— kzacar1
MoneyVoice allowed kzacar1 to quantify the value and voice of this opinion.
Since they consider Under the Mango Tree to be a sustainability focused business, they were surprised when the business responded with a resounding “No” to providing compostable utensils for their customers.
But not for the reasons you might think.
Under the Mango Tree has been established as a Miami business that prioritizes the health and well-being of both their customers and the planet for more than five years.
kzacar1 —
“Thank you so much for this feedback! You will be pleased to know that we have been working on a long term initiative to implement a system that will hopefully make us one of the greenest businesses in Miami…
After much research we do not believe that compostable packaging is the answer to this problem.
— Under the Mango Tree
The business responded to kzacar1 in great detail about their plan to become a leader in sustainability for other businesses in Miami (you can read the entire response here), which does not include supporting compostable utensils. From their point of view, compostable products represent a superficial and incomplete strategy towards a greener future. Instead, they are standing by their commitment to encourage customers to enjoy their products in house, where they always serve food in reusable dishes and silverware. They have a commitment to educating their customers on the impact of their daily choices and how these choices contribute to waste.
Under the Mango Tree stands by the belief that by slowing down and eating in the shop, customers can reduce waste, rather than simply switching to less harmful disposable products. To support their customers in this choice, Under the Mango Tree made a huge investment to move to a larger location with more dine-in seating to accommodate more customers to enjoy their food in house. The business still faces an uphill battle on customer education. They’ve noticed many customers create unnecessary waste by ordering their food in to-go containers and then staying to eat in the shop!
kzacar1 and Under the Mango Tree are clearly aligned on their mission to use their tools of influence to participate in a regenerative and sustainable future, but have two different strategies to achieving this vision. kzacar1 left feedback that they believed was a simple ask that would make a big change. But after five years of research and experience operating as a green business, Under the Mango Tree understands reducing waste is a very complex issue. Their response to this feedback reveals the comprehensive understanding they have of all their customers, as well as limitations of what they have to work with in terms of waste infrastructure available to businesses in Miami. They’ve been thinking about this issue since the genesis of their business and are planning a long term sustainability plan that goes beyond just a short-term solution.
So, what was the user’s reaction to this new information?
“I learned something new from reading the response from Under the Mango Tree. I didn’t realize most of the [compostable] products come from GMO corn…The experience really changed my perception about the product and bolsters my positive perception of their business.” — kzacar1
The business’ response gave kzacar1 a deeper understanding of this issue of waste produced by the food and beverage industry. This user gained insight from the business point of view that addressed concepts that most customers don’t think about.
As a business, Under the Mango Tree was thrilled to receive this feedback:
“ You as the consumer can speak with your money — as this concept of “Money Voice” is all about. It is important for everyone to know that since being truly green is sadly a revolutionary act in our society today, this will not be a “cheap” project for us. We are a small local-owned business and in order to thrive in this movement, we must have our community (and we consider all conscious people part of this — not just Miami locals) on board with us!”
We at MoneyVoice headquarters are really excited about this result! This is the first response to customer feedback, and both customer and business learned something about each other’s perspective, needs, and priorities. This sets a precedent for the kind of collaborative and innovative future we’re working towards.
Do you have an innovative idea you’d want to share with a business? Or a piece of feedback you would like a businesses you support to consider? If you want to hear back from businesses, start voting in MoneyVoice today!