Reduce your ecological footprint, one coffee at a time
Many entrepreneurs will tell you that it's essential to convey your values through the direction of your projects. For several years, Faro has strived to communicate its values through numerous small actions, which we believe can make a significant difference. Indeed, we believe there's always a way for SMEs to take meaningful steps and to encourage larger companies to do the same.
Today, more than ever, environmental issues are becoming imperative in all areas. Now that we have sufficient resources to launch the project, we have decided to further consider this issue and integrate sustainable development into our practices.
What are our objectives?
Taking the right environmental action may seem simple, but as novices in the field of sustainable development, we needed help and guidance. That's why we sought the expertise of ADDERE Consulting Services to implement these changes.
Here are the objectives we have set for ourselves for the coming years:
- We've switched our coffee cups to BPI-certified compostable cups, now available in all our branches;
- Reduce the amount of waste from our roasting center by 2020;
- Limit the acquisition of coffees from Africa and Asia to less than 15% by 2021;
- Reduce the fuel consumption of our vehicle fleet by 40% by 2023 by acquiring hybrid or 100% electric vehicles.
Going green is not as easy as one might think.
Throughout our efforts, we encountered some obstacles that made the task quite challenging. The major challenge of such a change, which applies at all levels of environmental decision-making, is making the right choice from among all the possible options.
Bags of coffee
When it came time to choose a 100% recyclable option for our coffee bags, we discovered a rather gray area within the green recycling bin. Will our customers dispose of them correctly so that sorting centers can recycle them? Will the coffee remain optimally fresh? Most likely, reusable containers will always be the best option.
Organic matter management
And what about organic matter? How should we manage it? Composting might seem like the perfect option for many things, but for coffee husks, a completely different, yet equally ingenious and effective, solution has emerged: processing the material with a partner. From a social and economic perspective, coffee husks have significant untapped potential and can serve multiple purposes, from soil amendment for farmers to insulation/mulch for animals!
This is also the case for jute bags, a significant volume of which is generated by our roasting operations. These bags can be used to protect lake ecosystems by combating Eurasian watermilfoil, an invasive aquatic plant that multiplies exponentially when cut. However, some of these bags are treated with synthetic materials for preservation, so we will need to further develop our strategies to manage them effectively.
There will always be a long way to go, but we hope that these measures, however small, can inspire you and many others to make changes in your daily life to contribute to the fight against climate change.
Want to learn more about our social involvement? Discover all our sustainable development and community support projects!
