Ibotta Launches New Campaign to Bring Attention to Wasteful Paper Couponing Industry
DENVER– Ibotta, the leading mobile rewards and payments platform in the United States, today announced the launch of its inaugural sustainability event to raise awareness of the more than 37,000 trees wasted every day on unused paper coupons. To assist in the efforts, Ibotta has assembled a coalition of purpose-driven CPG brands, including Post Consumer Brands, and more than 20 others.
In advance of Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary, Ibotta will help offset the enormous environmental impact of paper coupon production by partnering with Trees for the Future to plant up to 1 million trees during the month-long sustainability campaign starting April 14.
The company will feature a real-time tree tracker on its website to capture progress towards the 1 million tree goal throughout the duration of the campaign. The website will also showcase CPG partners who have committed to reduce or eliminate paper couponing by 2021.
The Life of a Paper Coupon
Every year, roughly 13 million trees are cut down for paper coupon production. However, consumers redeem less than one percent of the 256.5 billion paper coupons printed every year. The result is more than 1 million trees wasted every month on unused paper coupons, and residential households owning the waste management burden.
“In 2012 we set out to digitize coupons and disrupt an inefficient industry. This mission is even more critical now as we continue to examine our role and responsibility in protecting the environment,” said Bryan Leach, founder and CEO of Ibotta. “By empowering our Savers and partners with the proper tools, resources, and support to make an impact at such a pivotal time for environmental awareness, we strongly believe that together we will work toward a better future and help drive sustainable change toward permanently cutting coupon waste in the next few years.”
Each Offer Redeemed Helps Reach Goal of 1 Million Trees Planted
Beginning April 14, Ibotta will amplify special cash back offers and promotions to its users from CPG brands they know and love, including:
- American Licorice Company
- Ban Deodorant
- CLIF
- Danone
- Edgewell Personal Care
- Elmhurst
- Honest Company
- John Frieda Hair Care
- Eat JUST, Inc.
- Luvo
- Nestle
- New Belgium Brewing
- Pacific Foods
- Perfect Snacks
- Post Consumer Brands
- Rosina Foods
- RXBAR
- Similasan
- Trans-Ocean
- Two Good
“New Belgium believes in honoring nature at every turn of the business and we’re thrilled to partner with another thoughtful company like Ibotta,” said Katie Wallace, director of social and environmental impact, New Belgium Brewing. “Among their many environmental benefits, healthy forests are some of our favorite playgrounds and they provide essential water for beer. By using electronic offers and planting more trees, we can preserve our forests for adventure, celebration, and to sustain life. Cheers to that!”
“Forests help clean our air and water, provide habitat for wildlife, support a healthy climate, and so much more,” said a spokesperson at Clif Bar. “Today, wildfires, drought, and other climate change–related impacts have put forests at risk. That’s why Clif Bar is on a mission to plant one million trees by 2025 and partnering with Ibotta and other groups to support critical tree planting programs. Working together, we believe that one day soon we’ll all breathe a whole lot easier.”
“As thought leaders in the CPG industry, we know how challenging it is for our partners to convert entirely to digital promotions, despite the low redemption rates of paper coupons,” continued Leach. “We’re proud to have so many household, mission-driven brands join our efforts to bring attention to the unnecessary waste caused by paper couponing.”
To learn more about Ibotta’s inaugural sustainability event this month, including the full list of CPG brand partners and cash back offers, and to view the real-time tree tracker in partnership with Trees for the Future, visit Ibotta’s website here.
About Ibotta, Inc.
Headquartered in Denver, CO, Ibotta (“I bought a…”) is a free-to-use cash back rewards platform that has delivered nearly $700 million in cumulative cash rewards to its users for making purchases in-store, on mobile apps, via websites or through Pay with Ibotta™. Launched in 2012, Ibotta has more than 38 million downloads, is one of the most frequently used shopping and payments apps in the United States, and offers cash back on purchases at more than 1,500 leading brands and retail partners. Ibotta was named to the 2019 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., after debuting on the list in 2018, and the company has also been named as a Top Workplace by The Denver Post three years in a row.
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