Welcome to 'Greening Your Cafe' - a BX group interested in integrating green practices into cafe operations and growing sustainability in the specialty coffee industry.  Spearheaded by Green Cafe Network - this is a communal space to share best practices, questions, resources and brilliant ideas related to all things green!

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NEWS:

Please help us spread the word about our new and exciting Signs for Sustainability design contest that will benefit YOU and other cafes!  Here's the info - please forward widely :)

Calling all budding Designers, Artists and creative students! We Need Your Talent to Help the Planet!   
Green Cafe Network proudly announces the launch of our:
SIGNS FOR SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN CONTEST 
 
GCN invites all budding designers and/or art students to help in the effort to green neighborhood cafes --  by getting some hip, creative and effective signs out there to reduce waste!
 
Why?  Because restaurants and coffeehouses have enormous potential to reduce waste, conserve resources and inspire their customers to do the same. For example, on a recent survey of 40 cafes in the San Francisco Bay area, we found that only 16% had signage encouraging people to conserve napkins or paper towels, and 51% had a waste station with only one bin for trash (even though commercial recycling and composting is widely available).  
 
The Goal for Contestants is to bridge creative style with environmental responsibility by designing hip, informative, easy to understand signs for neighborhood cafes in one or more of the following categories:

- Lights: reminder to turn off the light, mainly for restrooms

- Water: reminder to conserve water at the sink

- Napkins: reminder to conserve paper napkins
- Paper Towels: reminder to conserve disposable towels

- Waste General: reminder to put waste in recycling, compost & landfill bins (with a design that could work in any city)
- Waste Local: reminder to put waste in recycling, compost & landfill bins (with design specific to your city/ city of your choice)

NEW Contest Deadline!: November 1st

Contest Prizes: The best design in each category will receive a cash prizes of $200!  All finalist designs will be displayed on GCN's website with the designer’s name and a link to his or her website and/or portfolio, if applicable.  These signs will be available at no cost for cafes and restaurants to download and put to use - so designers will have the satisfaction of seeing their work used to encourage environmental responsibility in our local cafes! 

Details are at the contest website:  www.greencafenetwork.org/contest

Questions?  Email: artcontest(at)

OTHER GREEN CAFE INFO:

Green Cafe Network is proud to announce our new and innovative partnership with Cafe Design & Architecture -- The Green Cafe Design and Architecture Team!

This partnership brings together the industry leaders in architectural design and sustainability consulting to provide green design solutions for cafes of all sizes across the country.

Read more about the partnership here:

http://bit.ly/GCNPress

And more about the services we'll be offering here:

http://bit.ly/GCNDesign

Thanks and let's get to greening those cafes!
-- Green Cafe Network --

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The Importance of Greening Cafes
The U.S. has over 20,000 coffee shops, and in each of these retail spaces there is an incredible opportunity to help reduce the specialty coffee industry’s collective environmental impacts. Considering Americans were estimated to use 23 billion paper cups last year and restaurants are the #1 consumer of electricity in the retail sector, cafes are directly responsible for huge amounts of waste, energy use and water consumption in our communities every day. By working together and sharing resources, the coffeehouse community can minimize these impacts and green their industry - from the bottom up.

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GREENING YOUR CAFE WEBINARS:

Stay tuned for our next webinar - "Eco-Friendly Purchasing" coming up in fall, 2011.

Webinar 4: Eco-friendly Purchasing
Date: Fall, 2011 - TBA.
Description: These days there are hundreds of eco-friendly products on the market for coffeehouses – from compostable cups to green cleaning products. This workshop will shed insight into what products make the most difference for the environment, and what products are usually not worth paying more for. Examples will be shared regarding take-away products, cleaning products, organics and more. Learn how other green cafes have balanced their commitment to sustainability with maintaining their bottom line.

About the Webinars:

The Greening Your Cafe Webinars are the first online resource dedicated to helping cafe staff, managers and owners green their cafe operations. 

These webinars are designed especially for busy cafe owners, managers and baristas - who want to make a difference - but often lack the time, information or resources to take action in their retail operations. Each webinar addresses key topics in saving energy, water, waste and reducing a cafe’s overall impact - with inspiring examples from successful green cafes. Participants learn actions they can take immediately on the job, helping to create a culture of environmental and social responsibility among their staff, customers and community.

About the Organizers
Green Cafe Network and Barista Exchange are proud to provide this unique educational opportunity for the specialty coffee community. Green Cafe Network (GCN) has been leading hands-on workshops for cafes since 2008 and is excited to spread our expertise to a broader audience, thanks to the great online network created by Barista Exchange. GCN is the only non-profit organization dedicated to greening the coffeehouse industry and harnessing cafe culture for environmental education and action.

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Webinar Descriptions

Each webinar includes a 30 minute presentation followed by 15 minutes for Q & A.  Webinars are facilitated by Kirstin Henninger, Director of Green Café Network and feature guest speakers in specific topic areas. Registration for each webinar will be accessible through www.greencafenetwork.org and Barista Exchange.

PAST WEBINARS:

Webinar 1: The Green Top 10
 Description: This workshop is a basic introduction to the quick and easy steps you can take to reduce the environmental impacts of your retail space and even save money in the process. Tips on easy ways to save energy, water and waste will be covered, as well as advice on purchasing practices that can reduce your café’s carbon footprint without breaking the bank.

Webinar 2: The Zero Waste Café: Cut Waste and Costs by Reducing your Café’s Waste
Sponsor: Greenhome.com
Description: Did you know that in certain cities, up to 95% of a café’s waste can be diverted from the landfill? Regardless of your location, there are dozens of steps your can take to reduce waste in your café, and often save money in the process. Learn how to measure your café’s ‘diversion rate,’ and how your purchasing practices can make a huge difference in your waste stream. See great examples from other “zero waste cafes” and get your questions answered about the best options for your café’s situation.

Webinar 3: Greening Your Routine: Easy Daily Steps to Greening Your Café
Sponsor: Full Circle

 Description: This workshop will focus on practical skills to green your cafe that can be implemented on the job – right now! While some steps to greening a business involve installing new lights, fixtures, etc. – we will focus on everyday routine actions that staff can take, which add up to make significant reductions in energy, water and waste. Learn how to engage staff in understanding the environmental impacts of the cafe & restaurant industry, and promote a meaningful connection between cafe work and environmental stewardship.

All Webinars are free of charge and registration is required.