Karim Badri
Prof. BUCKLER
BUS 104-B054
26 November 2023
Ethics Writing Assignment
Upon reading the assignment, Dunkin’ Donuts was the first company that came to mind. Every morning, I buy an iced coffee along with an egg and cheese croissant from them before heading to school. It’s become a daily part of my routine and is one that I look forward to more than anything. What drove me to choose this company over all the others is something more personal to me, but I’ll go over that a bit later.
The first thing I want to go over is their commitment to replace ALL of their polystyrene cups with new double-walled paper cups by 2025. According to their estimates, that would remove one billion foam cups from annual waste streams which is massive. The switch to paper cups is also an excellent choice as well, as paper is biodegradable and will have a less harmful effect on the environment should it still be littered. I’ve always been someone who was passionate about the state of the Earth and climate change and have done what I could to lessen my personal impact on nature and the world around me.
Another goal that Dunkin’ is committed to is 100% compliance for sustainable, traceable, and no deforestation impact palm oil in donut fry oil. This is arguably even more important than their last commitment; deforestation has been a problem for decades and has only recently become worse. With the rapid rise in the human population, the need for housing, and the global economic market growing at a quickened pace to further meet the needs and wants of consumers, forested areas have been bulldozed down to make room for construction. In doing so, our air quality has become significantly worse, and the ozone layer is depleting. While it might not be the thing that saves us, any bit of awareness around the subject of our ecosystem and climate is helpful.
Furthermore, Dunkin’ has slowly and steadily been updating its menu. In 2020, they added a variety of options for both vegetarians and vegans to be able to enjoy their food and drink items more often. This allows for non-vegan products to become more sustainable by allowing those who could not consume them to have a wider array of decisions. It also comes into play for people like me who have lactose intolerance and IBS by allowing me to have my coffee with oat milk instead of dairy (yes, I still order the egg and cheese croissant anyway, don’t judge me).
For me though, the most important thing that led to my decision with Dunkin’ Donuts was the Israel-Palestine conflict. I’ve lost family members in Palestine to bombings and raids by the IDF, and to see companies like Starbucks and McDonald’s go out of their way to offer themed foods and drinks dedicated to the people who killed my family left a sour taste in my mouth. While Dunkin’ hasn’t outrightly spoken out against the genocide going on, they also have refused to show any sort of support towards it. For me, that’s enough to keep me loyal.
If there WAS one recommendation I had for them, it would be to speak out and rally behind the people who have been under a brutal occupation for decades. The Israel-Palestine didn’t just start in October, it’s been going on since the end of the Second World War. It’s a shame that so many people turn a blind eye to the death of innocents, especially when those who are disproportionately being killed are a minority in the US. Other than that, showing more solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community outside of Pride Month would be an excellent decision as well. Oftentimes I see major corporations change their logo for Pride Month only to remove it the SECOND that July rolls around, and, to them, that’s considered solidarity. Even if it’s only periodically, having events every couple of months can dramatically increase their social favor and show that they actually care about the community.
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