Screw You Capri Sun

Look, I’m all about the environment. Of course I want to save the world for our future generations. I think there are so many little things we can do in our everyday lives to conserve and protect the world. And, I want to teach my child the importance of all that, too.

So, when I got a note home touting the awesomeness of the Capri-Sun Brigade, and how they will (gasp!) donate $.02 to our school for every empty pouch we send in, at first that sounds like a cool idea.

Then, I started thinking about it. 2 cents isn’t really all that much money.

Hmmm, I wondered about the math of it all.

(I’m using Amazon for my price comparisons.)

A 6 0z. Capri-Sun 100% juice box costs on average $.98.

A 6.75 oz. Apple & Eve juice box costs about $.82.

So, that means you’re paying an extra $.16 cents for Capri-Sun than you would for a comparable brand. I think we all know that’s WAY MORE than the $.02 your kid’s school will the make off their Capri-Sun pouch.

Okay, fine. So, they cost more, but recycling is a good thing, right? Well, let’s see–instead of sending these to a recycling plant to be broken down, it’s up to PARENT VOLUNTEERS to open and wash out each Capri-Sun pouch. Don’t even get me started on how disgustingly unsanitary that is. (And probably a crazy waste of water, but I can’t prove that so I won’t state it as fact.)

And, if your kid isn’t drinking Capri-Sun, then they don’t get to put their juice box in the brightly colored fun box of trash like everyone else does. Great, so if I don’t buy the fancy juice, then my kid can’t be cool. I thought I had a couple of years before brand names mattered.

And what are they doing with all those pouches?

caprisunbackpack Screw You Capri Sun

Yup, they’re making them into a backpack… so for the low price of only $12.99+shipping, my child can advertise their product.

jamiec Screw You Capri Sun
Have a Nice Day and Watch out for the Big Yellow Chicken.

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Posted in: Family

31 Responses to “Screw You Capri Sun”

Jeannie September 3rd, 2010 at 10:48 am

Holy crap. That is just wrong. I mean I don’t my niece and nephew drink the stuff because it’s totally full of sugar. Still to have the recycled goodness to be sold as advertising seems so very wrong.
Jeannie´s last [type] ..350 Words- Death in a claw foot tub

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Jamie Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:50 am

@Jeannie, Well, I am all about the 100% juice, because at least I know it isn’t all chick full of high fructose corn syrup… but DUDE–the advertising is what gets me…. They tout this as some amazing save the world thing, when really it’s about getting me to spend 13 bucks (+shipping) on a backpack so my kid can wear their logo?

Grrr…

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Carolyn V September 3rd, 2010 at 1:52 pm

Serious? They are?
Carolyn V´s last [type] ..Its a PartyA Party- Party Weekend

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jeanie September 3rd, 2010 at 3:38 pm

Yes….I saw this too and laughed. Thanks for doing the math for us. It’s pretty self serving

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Jamie Harrington Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:41 pm

@jeanie, I know! And don’t even get me started on box tops… )
Jamie Harrington´s last [type] ..Screw You Capri Sun

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Kelly Dexter September 3rd, 2010 at 4:16 pm

*facepalm*

That is wholly unbelievable. Doing good should not involve jumping through a hundred increasingly tiny hoops. People who make it so difficult seem more interested in making themselves look good than in actually helping others.
Kelly Dexter´s last [type] ..Time travel Tuesday- When and where would you go

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Jamie Harrington Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:05 pm

@Kelly Dexter, What really gets me is… how much good is it actually when you take into account the man hours to clean them all out, the resources used, and then the postage + shipping material, plus the gas, resources it takes to get them back to the Capri-Sun people. Is it really at all better for the environment to send these things back to Capri Sun over making sure they end up in a local recycling bin?
Jamie Harrington´s last [type] ..Screw You Capri Sun

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Kelly Dexter Reply:
September 6th, 2010 at 10:12 pm

@Jamie Harrington, There is zero logic involved in the process. *sigh*
Kelly Dexter´s last [type] ..A Hunger Games poll- which of your talents would be most helpful in the arena

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The Woodland Pussy September 3rd, 2010 at 6:09 pm

Capri sun is just STUPID.

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Jamie Harrington Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:14 pm

@The Woodland Pussy, you tell ‘em watchdog!
Jamie Harrington´s last [type] ..Screw You Capri Sun

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Jodi Meadows September 3rd, 2010 at 6:10 pm

Wow…That is pretty useless. *sigh*

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Jamie Harrington Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:14 pm

@Jodi Meadows, just think, what if they instead gave .02 of EVERY SINGLE juice box they sold to schools… I wonder what THAT would look like?!?
Jamie Harrington´s last [type] ..Screw You Capri Sun

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WritingLeigh September 3rd, 2010 at 6:12 pm

Pft. That’s ridiculous. It makes me feel better about buying the Honest Kids Organic Juice packs. Even if my daughter DOES complain that it’s “watered down.” (Uh, yeah. That’s the point, sweetie.)
WritingLeigh´s last [type] ..Waiting on Wednesday- Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

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Jamie Harrington Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:15 pm

@WritingLeigh, haha my kid says the SAME thing when I get those… I think I’ll just send water from now on. :)
Jamie Harrington´s last [type] ..Screw You Capri Sun

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WritingLeigh Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:20 pm

@Jamie Harrington, I’ve discovered that the grape ones actually taste pretty good, so we get those for times when you’ve just got to grab something quick.
WritingLeigh´s last [type] ..Waiting on Wednesday- Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

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Jamie Harrington Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:36 pm

@WritingLeigh, ohhhh then I will get them. I want her to have a juicebox like everyone else, but I would like it to have less actual juice :)
Jamie Harrington´s last [type] ..Screw You Capri Sun

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cynthial11 September 3rd, 2010 at 6:18 pm

OMG! what a bunch of crap! Seriously, they’re only donating $.02?!! That’s just wrong!! All they want is free advertisement and for people to think that they’re actually doing something for the environment when they’re not. The postage alone for sending just one of those things would cost way more than what they’re giving back and you can just donate that yourself to the school and send the pouches to a recycling facility. Crazy!!
cynthial11´s last [type] ..Review-Crank

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Jamie Harrington Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:20 pm

@cynthial11, oh no it’s not FREE advertisement… you pay THEM for the backpack… serious.
Jamie Harrington´s last [type] ..Screw You Capri Sun

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Lisa Potts September 3rd, 2010 at 7:20 pm

Yeah, they tried this same crap at my daughter’s school.

We’ve gone 100% water at our house (Well, we still have the occasional OJ).
Lisa Potts´s last [type] ..You Cant Win If You Dont Play

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Jamie Harrington Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 8:37 pm

@Lisa Potts, That’s pretty much how we are. I am SO not going to do that crap. I’ll just get her a superfly water bottle.
Jamie Harrington´s last [type] ..Screw You Capri Sun

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Carin September 3rd, 2010 at 7:25 pm

Your post represents the exact reasons my son takes his drinks to school(usually Brita-filtered water or organic juices) in a reusable travel cup. Other than the REAL way to be eco-friendly the, the money and advertising issues make me sick.
Carin´s last [type] ..Books I Want to Read As Soon As Humanly Possible

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Jamie Harrington Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 8:37 pm

@Carin, I agree. I don’t even mind my daughter having a super cool water bottle (her hello kitty one matches her hello kitty lunch box) but the WHOLE thing just stresses me out!
Jamie Harrington´s last [type] ..Screw You Capri Sun

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Ishta Mercurio September 4th, 2010 at 10:05 am

One word: GREENWASHING. The self-serving attempt by a corporate body to maintain the appearance of environmental consciousness, while actually either not really making a change for the greener, or (in this case) making things worse.

Thanks for spreading the word. Have you considered going to your daughter’s principal with this? I think if parents did the math and realized what was going on, they’d be more than happy to just donate directly to the school.

And thanks for the heads-up about HonestKids Organic Juice – I’ll have to see if I can get that where I live. I’ve been sending in a water bottle full of half-juice, half-water, but for those days when we sleep in by mistake it’s good to have something diluted that we can grab.

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Jamie Harrington Reply:
September 4th, 2010 at 3:24 pm

@Ishta Mercurio, Now that–THAT we could write a book about. :)
Jamie Harrington´s last [type] ..Screw You Capri Sun

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Michelle September 4th, 2010 at 2:57 pm

Wait, wait, wait. Do you mean to say that kids AREN’T mean to be little walking advertising boards? :O TEH SHOCK.

Honestly, it has been on my mind too since I bought a box of Capri Sun at Safeway and found out about the school recycling program.(In my defense, it was on sale. Shiny sales are shiny.) The premise just seemed ridiculous. I’m afraid that my daughter will be doomed to be the odd one out with her reusable “juice box”. Poor thing.

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Jamie Harrington Reply:
September 4th, 2010 at 3:24 pm

@Michelle, haha No, I TOTALLY hear you… I bought them. That’s the suck part. I bought Capri Sun just so my kid wouldn’t be without them. I think that’s what makes me SO mad, I fell right into the trap knowing FULL WELL what I was getting into! ARGH.
Jamie Harrington´s last [type] ..Screw You Capri Sun

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KellieD September 7th, 2010 at 11:11 am

Hi, Jamie! Ok, talked to my sister a bit about this. Both Capri Sun and Honest Kids participate in this program. It is not just something that Capri Sun does. It is led by a company called TerraCycle and they have “brigades” for a number of waste products. Including Stonyfield Farms yogurt cups and a variety of candy wrappers (Skittles, Starburst, M&Ms). They enlist the help of nonprofit organizations to divert these wastes from the waste stream, send them in and then manufacture the various products (messenger bags, pencil cases, etc.). While I understand your frustration about the program at your daughter’s school only focusing on Capri Sun, that isn’t the only “brigade” they’ve set up. I think if you read a bit more about the effort, you’ll be impressed. It isn’t about corporate greenwashing, but a very innovative 19 year old looking for a way to create an eco-friendly business. Here’s the link to TerraCycle: http://www.terracycle.net/about_us

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Jamie Harrington Reply:
September 11th, 2010 at 4:26 pm

@KellieD, Hey just wanted you to know that I am *not* ignoring this! I am still doing some research and should have another post about it next week!
Jamie Harrington´s last [type] ..Bookanistas- The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

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Margo Kelly September 10th, 2010 at 8:22 am

I work in a quilt/fabric store, and thought of you yesterday. I was thumbing through a new book containing patterns for cute lunch bags… and guess what I found?! Yup, that’s right. A pattern for you to make your very own Capri-Sun lunch bag.

Yah. So. Didn’t buy the book.

But… truth be told: I’m too lazy to make a lunch sack. Heck. I’m too lazy to make lunch.

Great. Now I’m hungry.
Margo Kelly´s last [type] ..Finding Your Voice

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Steven July 9th, 2011 at 11:49 am

Finally someone who gets it!!! I made a video on YouTube with my thoughts on the pouch brigade program. Give it a look and let me know your thoughts! Click here: http://youtu.be/yQRyPsBlNWs or just browse “Pensaring, Capri Sun” on YouTube

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