KeepCup is a B Corporation. Among the obligations B Corp certification places on us is a commitment to consider the long-term impact of our decisions on workers, community, environment and customers, not just shareholders.
That obligation includes the political environment we operate in. Environmental policy, labor policy, manufacturing policy, all decided by elected governments. So when a US election cycle rolls around, we don't pretend it doesn't matter to us. It does. And we're going to say so.
This isn't a partisan post. KeepCup doesn't endorse parties or candidates. But we'll be clear about what we think the next US administration and Congress, of whatever political color, should prioritize if the country is serious about the next ten years.
Why a Business Engages With Politics
There's a fair question about whether a coffee cup manufacturer should be commenting on national policy at all. Our answer is that we're not just a coffee cup manufacturer, we're a business operating within a regulatory environment we have a stake in.
The decisions that affect our manufacturing costs, our supply chains, our customers' purchasing power and our environmental footprint are made by elected governments. Choosing not to engage isn't neutral, it's a default position that benefits incumbents. So we engage.
What We Think the Next Administration Should Prioritize
1. Real Climate Action, Not Targets Without Levers
The US has set net-zero ambitions and re-entered the Paris Agreement. Those commitments are meaningless without policy levers: emissions standards, clean energy tax credits, fossil fuel subsidy phase-outs, accelerated transmission build-out for renewables, electric vehicle infrastructure, public transit investment in major cities, and a fair transition framework for affected workers.
The next administration needs to move from declarative climate policy to operational climate policy. The target without levers is the most expensive form of inaction, it locks in delay while sounding committed.
2. National Single-Use Plastic Framework
The US currently has a patchwork of state and city regimes for single-use plastics. Different products banned in California, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, Connecticut and a growing list of others; different timelines, different definitions. The fragmentation makes compliance expensive for businesses and reduces effectiveness for the environment.
A national framework, harmonizing single-use plastic rules across states, would simplify compliance for US manufacturers and accelerate the transition to reusables. It's the kind of regulatory reform that costs little and delivers measurable environmental gain.
3. Properly Funded Container Deposit Reform
Ten US states currently operate "bottle bill" container deposit schemes. They've lifted recycling rates dramatically in those states, and the gap with non-deposit states is consistent. None currently include disposable coffee cups.
Expanding container deposit nationally, and including disposable cups, with proper infrastructure investment to support the additional volume, would create a clear financial signal favoring reuse. The deposit creates the economic case the disposable industry has historically resisted.
4. Investment in US Manufacturing
KeepCup manufactures product for the global market. Continued domestic US manufacturing capacity, in any sector, depends on policy support: industrial electricity prices that reflect renewable supply, skilled trade and engineering education, infrastructure that keeps domestic supply chains viable, and procurement preferences that favor local production where quality and price are competitive.
US manufacturing has been shrinking for decades. It doesn't have to keep shrinking. The policy choices that would reverse that decline are knowable; they require political commitment.
5. Honest Discussion of Consumption
US per-capita consumption and waste generation sit at the top of the OECD range. Climate policy that ignores consumption patterns is incomplete.
The political class on all sides has been reluctant to address this honestly because reduced consumption sounds like reduced quality of life. It doesn't have to be. Reuse, repair, sharing, modular product design, these are quality-of-life improvements, not sacrifices. The political conversation hasn't caught up to the lived reality.
What We're Not Asking For
We're not asking for KeepCup-specific subsidies, regulatory carve-outs, or competitive advantage. We're not asking for our market to be protected from competition. We're not asking for any policy that exists specifically to benefit our business.
The five priorities above would benefit thousands of US businesses, many American workers, and the broader environment we all share. Many of those businesses compete with us. We'd be fine with that.
How to Vote With Long-Term Impact in Mind
Five questions worth asking of any candidate seeking your vote:
- What specific climate policy levers will you implement, with what timelines?
- What is your position on national single-use plastic and reuse frameworks?
- What is your position on US manufacturing capacity?
- What is your position on extended producer responsibility, the principle that manufacturers bear cost for end-of-life of their products?
- What is your position on biodiversity protection and conservation funding in the US?
The answers, if specific rather than aspirational, tell you most of what you need to know about whether the candidate's stated values are matched by policy commitments.
The Bigger Frame
Voting is one act among many. Between elections, the businesses, organizations and individuals who pressure elected representatives have more daily influence than the voters who put them there. But the voting moment is the highest-leverage individual political act available to most Americans.
If you care about reuse, climate, manufacturing, biodiversity or any of the issues KeepCup cares about, the most important thing you do every election cycle is the ballot. We won't tell you which way to mark it. We'll just remind you that the marks add up.
FAQs
Does KeepCup endorse political parties?
No. KeepCup advocates for specific policies, climate action, reuse frameworks, manufacturing support, biodiversity protection, but does not endorse political parties or individual candidates.
Why does KeepCup engage in political advocacy?
As a B Corporation, KeepCup is committed to considering the long-term impact of our decisions on stakeholders including the environment and community. National policy directly affects our manufacturing, supply chains and customers, and we engage accordingly.
What environmental policies does KeepCup advocate for?
National single-use plastic harmonization, expanded container deposit schemes including disposable cups, real (not aspirational) climate policy with operational levers, and extended producer responsibility frameworks.
What can I do to support environmental policy in the US?
Vote informed by candidates' actual policy positions, contact your federal and state representatives on specific issues, support advocacy organizations, and choose products from companies that are accountable for their environmental impact (B Corp certified).
Takeback - Encouraging reuse or providing an excuse?
If you stand for nothing, B Corp, what'll you fall for?