{"id":23522,"date":"2019-07-24T10:46:27","date_gmt":"2019-07-24T17:46:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/?p=23522"},"modified":"2019-10-01T12:00:31","modified_gmt":"2019-10-01T19:00:31","slug":"can-your-cafe-go-zero-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/can-your-cafe-go-zero-waste\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Your Caf\u00e9 Go Zero Waste?"},"content":{"rendered":"

[S]ixteen-year-old Nobel Peace Prize nominee Greta Thunberg wrapped up her speech at the 2019 World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, by telling world leaders to \u201cbehave like our house is on fire, because it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she\u2019s right.<\/p>\n

Coffee shops hand out an estimated 250 billion paper cups every year, which go straight to landfills. Even the cups that say they\u2019re recyclable on the packaging are misleading, because the infrastructure to recycle them is very expensive and doesn\u2019t exist in many municipalities.<\/p>\n

Cups are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to waste produced by caf\u00e9s. From plastic straws to clam-shell to-go containers, caf\u00e9s have become a highly visible representation of pollution, abundant waste, and corporate environmental responsibility for consumers.<\/p>\n

Switching to recyclable materials has proven to be less than effective at reducing one\u2019s environmental footprint. According to a study published in peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, only nine percent of the plastic ever produced has been recycled\u2014that\u2019s 6.3 billion metric tons of plastic hanging out in waterways, landfills, and oceans for the next 20\u20131,000 years.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the zero-waste caf\u00e9 movement is gaining traction.<\/p>\n

A zero-waste caf\u00e9 program is a visionary mindset to help guide operators in changing their practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use through reduction, reuse, recycling, and rot (composting). To implement a zero-waste program requires an investment of time, resources, and dedication over months and even years. But it\u2019s attainable, even business-savvy, given the right framework and planning.<\/p>\n

By implementing a zero-waste system, owners and managers can keep hundreds or even thousands of pounds of resources from ending up in the trash.<\/p>\n

Not only can managers divert their cash flow from literally ending up in the trash, but customers will appreciate the effort. According to a 2017 Nielsen survey, 85 percent of millennials ages 21\u201334 consider it \u201cextremely\u201d or \u201cvery\u201d important that companies implement programs to improve the environment. Those people are the very same customers who are driving the specialty coffee market. The National Coffee Association\u2019s 2018 report showed that 48% of 25\u201339 year olds reported drinking a gourmet coffee drink within the past 24 hours.<\/p>\n

Here, we outline the steps and tools your organization can utilize to develop a zero-waste program tailored to your business needs:<\/p>\n

Step 1. Conduct an audit of your current waste management.<\/h4>\n