Comment

Comment by Stickman on April 10, 2008 at 8:58pm

If you're in north america upgrade with 240volt equipment instread of 120V...My electrician/green guru assures me they're FAR more efficient. Get this: he became an electrician so that he could build off-grid houses!
I recently found out that the local blue box program takes paper coffee cups as long as they're rinsed to a cleanish level - much like the cardboard of a pizza box. Apparently even the best, most compostable of the compostable cups won't fly in the average commercial compost facility as the cups require up to 90 days to decompose whereas the composters require that an item break down in under 60...

Comment by Bel Townsend on March 9, 2008 at 11:12am

Composting coffee grounds is great - it actually does your garden an even better service as slugs and snails apparently don't like caffeine? Fertilizer and pest deterrant...
You can also mix coffee grounds with henna and use it to dye your hair 'naturally' - it goes a lovely rich mahogany brown, if anyone's interested.
Question though: can anything be done about recycling the foil-with-valve bags that roasted beans arrive in? You can't recycle the foil cos it's covered in plastic, and if you use more recyclable packaging, the coffee goes stale. Any ideas?

Comment by Taylor Mork on March 9, 2008 at 10:59am

great topic, Matt. I've had several customers come to me recently asking for help on this issue, though at this point I have very few recommendations. I'm working on finding a reliable and cost effective recycled and enviro-friendly paper cup.

I'm still not convinced that simply "biodegradable" paper cups will do the trick, since without air in a landfill they really have no chance to break down (at least in our lifetime).

does anybody have recommendations for recycled and enviro-friendly paper cups? cost will of course also be an issue for most.

I've also tried some non-paper cups such as those made from corn or sugarcane. i'm fine with them, but customers get a bit weirded out since they can get a bit soft with hot liquid and feel like they're going to break (though they won't).

Comment by gwilym on March 8, 2008 at 12:06pm

may be a bit early in the conversation but..
why are the boilers and pipes of an espresso machine not insulated - surely this would cut down on energy used?

Comment by Loren Anthony on March 8, 2008 at 8:15am

WOW a city compost plan?! Gracious I wish Atl had that. This city has'nt been all that eco-friendly, but the power is definitely in the hands of business owners to lead by example. It's hard sometimes though. The eco-containers are much more expensive than regular paper cups. I can't afford it yet but I do have sign saying:"Bring Your Own Cup For a Discount!" Ive also reached out to the local gardeners and garden clubs telling them to come collect our grinds for compost. My floodlights has been replaced with the Compact Fluorescent Bulbs I'm not sure what to do with the track lighting yet. I also have an energy efficient hand dryer and encourage use of that rather than paper towels in the restroom.

Comment by Matt Milletto on March 7, 2008 at 4:43pm

Thanks Jason,

Totally agree on milk choice! It's amazing to think about the volume of milk many coffee shops go thru on a daily basis.

Keep the great ideas coming folks!

Comment by jason robert paglia on March 7, 2008 at 4:23pm

great topic. here in portland we have the luxury of a city compost plan. so, we save all our grinds and food waste and leave it outside by the trash and recycling. we are an extremely busy coffee house so we filled up a 40 gallon can in one week. That's just one cool example. I think a super easy thing that many shops do is offer 25c off on drinks when customers bring in their own cup. Another cool idea is choosing energy efficient appliances, think of all the hot water we go through in our cafes and all the refrigeration we require. Choosing locally produced goods is also a smart option for various reasons. Think of what companies you are investing in when you sell coffee, bottled drinks, baked goods, teas, and all the other myriad items that we use and offer in our shops. Milk is a really big one, too. I think making the right choices today is really easy, it actually helps to build your customer base.