Connecting With Others Over a Local Plastics Solution

In August, I attended a networking meeting of climate folks operating across Chicago called Chicago Climate Connect (free to all). The hit of the evening was something absolutely mind-blowing for those of us who hate plastic bottles. Americans buy about 50 billion plastic water bottles a year, but when it comes to consumption of plastic bottles in the workplace, the problem may have been solved right in our own town!

The founder of Kadeya spoke about her young business: selling vending machines to workplaces that dispense beverages into aluminum containers, which employees return to any Kadeya machine. It’s much like the soda machines you see at movie theaters now—with a touch of a button, the machine can mix up dozens of beverages.

Their motto is to compete on quality, convenience and price, and they meet their goals in all three categories. They can now bottle a Coke™ cheaper than Coca Cola™ does! Not only does their beverage delivery system make economic sense, it also saves carbon emissions. Its greenhouse gas footprint is estimated to be 75% lower than PET plastic bottled water, and it’s estimated to generate 87% less waste than PET bottles. Wow!

Even so, Kadeya’s founder does not mention sustainability in her pitch deck because the economics are so in their favor. Plus, sustainability can be a non-starter for some venture capitalists. 

The next Climate Connect is at 6:00 pm on Tuesday September 9, at 400 N Aberdeen St in Fulton Market. I hope to see you there!

Want more? Email the Environmental Action Committee (environment@lwvchicago.org) to join our meetings on the second Monday of each month at 4:30 pm. Our next meeting is on September 8!