On Friday Nov 8th 2019, we ended use of single-use paper and plastic cups for to-go beverages. All to-go drinks are now served in handsome 100% reusable and recyclable glass jars with machine washable sleeve and lid. They are available for just $1 with your drink purchase, and can be brought back to be refilled, swapped out for a freshie, or returned for your deposit back. They also fit perfectly in a cup holder… We see this as an important step that we can take to break ourselves of unsustainable habits we’ve developed as coffee consumers.

An estimated 25 billion coffee cups are thrown out in the US alone every year, and each one takes 30 years (plastic cups can take hundreds of years!) to decompose. It may seem like a huge, daunting problem. And it is. But even as a small company, we feel we have to do what we can to minimize our negative impact and make our process as sustainable as possible, especially as the coffee community continues to grow in Kansas City. Eliminating the waste from single-use beverage containers is one step we know we can take to have an impact where we are, right now.

We’ve also partnered with KC Can Compost to collect and process all of our food waste, including the large amounts of nutrient-rich coffee grounds and coffee chaff (a thin silverskin on coffee seeds that gets blown off during the roasting process), saving thousands of pounds of CO2 every year by keeping these materials out of landfills.

In late 2020 we moved to fully compostable bags for our coffee that can still keep the product fresh for all our customers. We’re excited to pursue even more ways to limit our waste and minimize our negative impact on the environment, and hopefully we can be a resource to other coffee-focused businesses that want to do the same.

We’ve seen first-hand the effects of climate change on the very product we focus on… every year rains and harvest become more unpredictable, temperatures rise and force farmers to grow coffee higher up on the mountains, and extended heat and humidity encourage pests and disease to attack coffee plants even more rapidly. If the production and consumption of amazing coffees from around the world is going to continue, responsible stewardship of our planet Our hope is that our customers, who we know are discerning and mindful people, will be excited to partner along with us in helping to change the culture for the better. Let’s do this, KC!

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask a barista, or email us @ [email protected]