Environmental Practices
We are constantly pursuing ways to reduce our impact on the environment. The following goals guide our decision making:
Our actions include:
- Recycling all cardboard, plastic, glass and organic waste, including spent coffee grounds.
- Partnering with TerraCycle to recycle used coffee bags from our customers and wholesale partners.
- Reducing single-use packaging wherever we can. For example, using reusable tins for our bulk coffee (instead of bags) and collapsible crates for deliveries (instead of boxes).
- Ensuring paper straws and recyclable take-away lids are available in our shops, but not offered as a default.
- Repurposing green coffee jute and GrainPro bags from our roastery.
- Using rechargeable batteries (where batteries are required).
- Offering a discount to customers who use a reusable take-away coffee cup.
- Offering Returnr bean canisters in all our shops as an alternative to coffee bags.
Our headquarters is powered by solar panels, and our business is 100% carbon neutral (scope 1, 2 and 3) and has been since July 2020. In addition to offsetting our carbon, we are committed to finding ways to reduce our energy consumption and improve our energy efficiency. We do this by choosing efficient business practices – reducing business travel (by using technology to connect), using local warehousing, routinely working to reduce energy consumption in our shops, and reviewing the carbon impact of our packaging materials. We also choose renewable energy suppliers wherever possible.
Active steps we’ve taken to switch to better materials:
- Our current coffee bags are made from renewable plant-based materials and are 60% compostable and biodegradable. We will soon be launching kerbside recyclable coffee bags. Watch this space!
- Our iced coffee cups and all our cup lids are kerbside recyclable.
- Our take-away paper cups are compostable, and we are currently piloting a recycling program with Simply Cups at our Sydney Rd shop.
- For online orders, we use compostable satchels or recycled boxes, with paper tape where we can, and compostable and recyclable stuffing.
- For domestic wholesale coffee orders, we use boxes that are made in Australia from at least 80% recycled material. These are recyclable.
- We use environmentally friendly cleaning products.
The equipment we sell in our shops and on our website is the same equipment we use at home and have loved for many years. These items have stood the test of time and have been chosen because of their quality, durability and longevity. Wherever we can, we offer spare parts for these products to increase their usability and service life. We hope they remain in people’s homes, and are used regularly, for many years.
We actively seek out local and international partners and suppliers who have similar values to us, share our environmental concerns, and are taking steps to reduce their impact and do things better.
