Grounds For Change

Breakfast the other day was at our favorite bagel shop. A toasted sesame seed bagel with cream cheese, cucumbers, sprouts, lettuce and tomato is one of my favorite forms of comfort food.

While there, waiting for all the yummy layers to be layered, I noticed some signage for Grounds for Change--their coffee source. I'm not a coffee drinker, but more of a green tea girl these last 18 months (previously a Diet Coke aficionado), so I usually don't pay much attention to coffee. But their mission of sustainability is what hit me first, causing me to do a deeper dive.

The Seattle-born company's notables:

• Organic 
• 100% free trade
• Much of their coffee is shade grown--which creates habitats for the migratory birds.
• They use 100% renewable energy on all sides of processing, packing, and shipping. Therefore, they are considered "Carbon Free Coffee."
• They use composting for all organic waste (including coffee filters)--the coffee chaff is given to local farmers to enrich their soil.
• Packaging is made from 100% recyclable paper
• Burlap coffee bags are recycled by donating them to local farmers to hold back the weeks and stave off erosion.
• They donate 1% of their gross annual sales to social/environmental organizations
• They empower women in the coffee growing communities, many of whom are the ones to the do the lion share of creation.
• And, they work with local/national organizations to promote positive change and awareness.

That's a lot of good going on. I love when places I love show an outward commitment toward the stewardship of our planet. It made my morning bagel a double win for me!




Video from https://groundsforchange.com/blogs/learn/carbon-free-coffee; Images from https://dailycoffeenews.com/2012/02/22/grounds-for-change-partners-with-greendeals-for-sweepstakes/ and https://bcorporation.net/directory/grounds-change.