Sustainability

Being a sustainable business means more to us than just purchasing sustainable coffee. It also means finding ways to operate our business with the same principles that guide our green coffee buying. We are always looking for new ways to reduce waste and conserve energy while running Wandering Goat.

Some of the projects we’ve implemented so far include:

• Buying 100% wind-generated electricity from our local power company, EWEB.
• Reducing the amount of waste we generate by buying recycled, recyclable, compostable, or reusable office and cafe supplies whenever possible. This includes: napkins, straws, bags, office paper, cups, coffee bags, and cleaning supplies.
• Reusing shipping materials like boxes and packing materials.
• Recycling everything possible.
• Our choice of coffee roaster, the Loring SmartRoaster. It is one of the most efficient coffee roasters in the world. This machine uses 80% less natural gas and produces 80% less CO2 as shown in this study. It also has the added benefit of smoke output that is a fraction of that produced by a traditional coffee roaster.
• Composting our nitrogen-rich chaff (the outer skin of the green coffee bean that separates during roasting).
• Offering our organic coffee grounds to gardeners in our community.

These are just a few small steps we’ve taken towards operating a more sustainable business, but we’re always looking to do more. Sustainability is a process more than a goal; if you have any ideas that could help us improve we’d love to hear from you.