Turning the Tide on Plastic, One Cleanup at a Time
At the end of July 2025, our team traded aprons for gloves and buckets, joining the San Mateo Parks Department for a bayside cleanup at Coyote Point. We began with a quick history of the park — once filled-in landfill, now a thriving public green space — before setting out to collect debris along the shoreline.
Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing threats to our waterways and wildlife. Over 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year, endangering birds, fish and marine mammals through ingestion and entanglement. Recycling alone can't solve this, with only 9% of plastics actually recycled. Reducing single-use plastics is essential.
This commitment is at the heart of our “Death to Plastic” beverage cooler campaign. Already, we've kept thousands of single-use bottles out of circulation by replacing them with refillable and aluminum options.
When we started our volunteer program, the idea was to spend time together out of our normal routine and in the community. Being able to tie these activities thematically to what we focus on in our cafés makes the experience even deeper for our team — and hopefully we can bring some of our learnings back into our hospitality practice.
The cleanup was a powerful reminder that small, consistent actions lead to real impact — and that picking up trash can happen anywhere: at the shoreline, in a park or on your daily walk to lunch.
Three Simple Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution:
- Carry a reusable bottle and cup to avoid single-use beverage containers.
- Choose aluminum over plastic — aluminum has a much higher recycling rate and can be infinitely reused.
- Pick up as you go — even a handful of stray litter makes a big difference.
Join Us in Making a Difference
Sustainability is strongest when it’s hands-on. Whether you’re an employee eager to join our next volunteer day, a client ready to co-host a cleanup event or a community organization with a project in mind — we’d love to collaborate. Together, we can protect the places where we work, play and live. Learn more about our commitment to sustainability.