Small steps, and some big ones
We take as many small (and some large!) steps as we can to reduce our impact. It is an intentional choice, right down to the toilet paper.
From cappuccinos to compost. Our takeaway cups and lids are fully compostable. For over 18 months we trialled ways to actually compost them, and now we divert about 5,000 cups and lids from landfill every month.
Returned
Cups and lids come back to our Haven Road and Palmerston North bars.
Sorted
Our crew and customers sort them, which is what makes it all work.
Collected
Envirowaste Nelson gets them where they need to go.
Composted
Greenwaste to Zero turns them into compost.
Back to soil
Sold in Nelson through Greenwaste to Zero, and spread over community gardens in Palmerston North.
The cups are bioplastic, made from renewable sources such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw and wood chips, printed with non-toxic soy-based ink. Our partner Ecoware Food Packaging has cheered us on from the start.
Bags that go back to the soil
We worked super hard to bring you 100% compostable coffee bags. That means the bag, the valve and the inks.
- Supermarket bags. The valve is a WICOVALVE W606E, developed for the coffee industry and totally biodegradable. The inks are made from natural ingredients including soy, starch, sugars, dextrin, tree resin and cellulose, and have been tested to make sure they do not interfere with composting.
- Kilo bags. Lined with PLA, a plant starch film from sources like corn and sugarcane. They are compostable in commercial composting facilities once the tin-tie has been removed.
- Next up. We are running a home compost project for our bags. Photos coming soon.
Nothing goes to waste
We are conscious of the by-products our roasting creates, so we find a use for them.
Coffee sacks
The sacks that carry green beans to our roaster are sold from the Brew Bar and Roastery for a koha. We love seeing them turned into cushions, hats and carry bags.
Husk and grinds
The husk from roasting and the grinds from our espresso bars are left outside our stores for anyone to take. They make great mulch and help keep pests off your veggie plants.
Glass milk bottles
Across our Nelson stores we use Oaklands A2 milk from a local farm, in glass bottles we rinse and return to be reused again and again. No plastic. We are looking for an organic supplier for Palmy, so watch this space.
Food waste
Community Compost in Nelson collects our food waste every week and composts it.
Bring your own cup
The greenest cup is the one you already own.
We give a discount when you bring your own reusable cup. We have our own cup library and we are part of the Nelson CupCycling scheme.
Thank you to the people who share our vision, and above all to our crew and customers who return and sort the packaging.
- Ecoware Food Packaging
- Envirowaste Nelson
- Greenwaste to Zero
- Palmy Proud
- Community Compost
- Oaklands Milk