Another reason we prioritise buying from small scale coffee producers, their trees tend to be grown beneath a canopy of natural shade trees which not only capture carbon but also provide food and shelter for wildlife. We think the coffee tastes better too so it really is a win win situation!

In retaining native plants in and amongst coffee trees, the need for pesticides and herbicides can be reduced and native bee populations can be boosted. Not only do bees help to pollinate the coffee (increasing yield by up to 50%) but they also carry bacteria that can help keep climate related pests and disease in check. Many of our producing partners utilise organic techniques in their coffee growing encouraging natural resistance and ecosystems to form around the trees.

All of our beans are roasted using a Loring machine which has been specifically designed to not only coax out the most exceptional flavour but to do so in a manner designed to lower environmental impact. In fact, by using this machine over a traditional gas drum roasterwe have saved approximately 105,885lbs of C02 per year…

All of our wholesale orders are delivered with DPD, a company aiming to be the greenest delivery company on the planet. They have developed various initiatives to ensure packages are delivered from smart hubs located close to customers to really reduce emissions as much as possible. They are developing a fleet of electric vehicles across the UK and have an admirable program in place to ensure as much as possible is reduced, re-used or recycled. You can read more about it all here.

We use a natural carbonated water decaf process. The C02 process involves submerging the coffee in pressurised water and then adding C02 to draw the caffeine from the bean. It’s 100% organic and enables the coffee to retain its individual characteristics and flavour. The caffeine is treated as a waste product and resold for commercial use. The filtered organic matter from the water is used as a cow feed. This makes the process waste neutral and highly sustainable.

The process is handled by CR3 in Germany. The alternative is the Swiss Water Decaf process (SWD) whereby water is stripped of its caffeine through charcoal as opposed to C02. This process is handled in Canada. Not only does the new process with C02 make better use of waste products there is a significant reduction in our coffees carbon footprint by reducing its travel distance so dramatically.

We roast using The Loring Smart Roast patented technology which eliminates the need for an afterburner, reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to previous roasting methods

We are committed to lowering our reliance on single-use cups and plastic by offering compostable and recyclable products. In our coffee shop we sell reusable cups and customers who bring a reusable cup receive a discount on takeaway coffee.

In 2019 we were pivotal in bringing the Vegware ‘Close the Loop’ scheme to Leeds which has allowed us and other local coffee shops to send of their Vegware items to be composted with Forge Recycling along with our food waste collections.

Coffee chaff – We deliver this to Meanwood valley farm every Friday to be used for compost. Also available to the public to collect from the roastery to use as compost, chicken bedding, or for mulching.

Coffee grounds – available for customers to pick up, grounds can be used as a fertiliser or slug repellent.

Coffee sacks – These are available for the public to collect from the roastery free of charge. We also donate the sacks to ‘Scrap’ in Farsley on a regular basis for upcycling.

Use this to answer some common questions you hear from your customers. You could discuss product details, size fit, shipping policies, or anything you think would help merchants make an informed decision about your products. This section will appear across all products.

All our pastries and bakes are served by Nova Bakehouse.

This neighbourhood bakery at Leeds Dock has a commitment to fresh flour and guided by nature, they apply intuitive techniques to all they bake. Providing sourdough bread and flavourful pastries for their community, whilst creating an alternative economy for farmers that regenerate land with diversity. They focus on the human scale and champion positive interactions over commercial extraction.

Use this to answer some common questions you hear from your customers. You could discuss product details, size fit, shipping policies, or anything you think would help merchants make an informed decision about your products. This section will appear across all products.

For all our coffee shop suppliers, we aim to work with local businesses who deliver the best quality and biggest impact.

This includes Organic Dales for milk and eggs, Crier and Stott for cheese, Lishmans Butchers, Suma Wholefoods, Who Gives a Crap toilet paper and The Soap Co. who are a fellow B Corp.

Whilst recycling uptake here in the UK is currently higher than composting, we knew we needed to move away from plastic if we want to be part of a movement to reduce the demand for it in the future. Every year, plastic production represents the same amount of oil usage as the entire aviation industry. Only 14% is actually recycled with 40% ending up in landfill and 8 million tonnes entering our oceans. What is more, it is thought human beings ingest a credit card’s worth of plastic every year…

With the challenges around recycling infrastructure, it is evident that home composting is going to become more of a necessity in the future hence our choice to use this material for our 250g bags. 

Composting refers to the organic process of biodegradation of a material or product. Essentially it is nature’s form of recycling. For an item to be deemed compostable, it must break down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass in a given timeframe. Composting has the additional benefit of mitigating the effects of climate change. Not only does it allow for a majority of household waste to be diverted from methane generating landfill, but the resulting compost has the effect of removing carbon from the air when put back into the land. The packaging we work (made from cellulose, kraft paper and sugarcane) with will degrade in around 6 months in a well managed home compost setup (with oxygen, soil, nitrogen, co2, heat, moisture). The inks used on the bags and labels are compostable as are the seal and valve - you do not need to remove anything before putting the bag into your compost bin.

In making this move, we have had an 88% reduction in reliance on virgin fossil fuel materials and we offset 2157kg of C02 for this order through Gold Standard carbon credits.

The Challenges

Currently, only 3 percent of the UK population have a compost bin. We know many of you will not have the space or need to produce compost in your home and some of the bags may still end up in landfills where they will not break down. Ultimately, there is no perfect solution to this problem until we see wider, infrastructural changes with government support but in the meantime help us close the loop by:|

- Sending back your packaging to either our roastery or coffee shop and we will compost it for you with our food waste collections.

- Write to your local MP to appeal for composting collections with your local council. You can use this template > Letter to MP.

- Get a discounted (by your local council) compost bin and get composting!

Unfortunately, we are not yet able to offer a home compostable 1kg or 3kg option which remains to be LDPE recyclable plastic in waste stream 4. To ensure your 1kg bags get to where they need to, please send them back to us at the Roastery (Unit 10, 280 Tong Road, LS12 3BG) or drop them off at our coffee shop and we will recycle them in our Terracycle Zero Waste Box.