Making conscious efforts to reduce our impact on the environment, we’re constantly looking to improve our ways of working.
We’re making strides to go beyond serving exceptional coffee, to champion sustainability and protect the environment through innovative partnerships at home.
We’re excited to announce our collaboration with two pioneering social enterprises: Seed the Ground in Queensland and Reground in Victoria. Together, we're on a mission to keep ground coffee out of landfills and give it a second life in community gardens and home composts.
Powerful partnerships
Working with Seed the Ground and Reground takes our sustainability efforts further; creating a truly circular economy for our coffee waste.
Seed the Ground is dedicated to transforming local businesses' and residents' food waste into nutrient-rich compost for gardens in the Gold Coast region. With their composting programs in Miami, Burleigh Heads, Northern Gold Coast, Currumbin, and Varsity Lakes, Nat and Jess came to us in 2023 wanting to partner and help build on the amazing work they do on the Gold Coast.
In Victoria, Reground was founded in 2014 as Australia’s first coffee recycling service and operates with the same ethos, delivering coffee grounds to end users like home or community gardens who often use the coffee to make compost that enriches soil health.
To date, Reground has diverted over 1,733,600 kilograms of ground coffee from landfills and services over 300 Victorian businesses to divert ground coffee, chaff and soft plastic from landfills.
We've proudly been working with Reground since 2016, diverting the ground coffee from our Collingwood roastery.
How it works
Partner cafés sign up to be a part of the initiative – we fully subsidise their participation. Seed the Ground collects used coffee grinds from our customers weekly and takes them to one of their three compost hubs along the coast, where the grounds are combined with food waste and other organic matter.
After “hot composting” and manual filtration, the mixture becomes a rich food that goes back into community and home gardens and helps grow organic produce.
By collaborating with eight local cafes, we’ve diverted over twelve tonnes of ground coffee from landfills. This compost is then used to nourish local gardens, helping fresh produce grow and beautiful plants flourish and benefit the community.
Working to a similar process in Victoria, we've partnered with Reground and six partner cafés across the state and have successfully diverted over two tonnes of coffee grounds from disposal, reducing waste and supporting community garden efforts.
The environmental impact
The statistics speak volumes: over fourteen tonnes of coffee have been diverted from landfills through our partnerships with Seed the Ground and Reground. This waste reduction is more than just numbers; it represents a significant decrease in harmful methane emissions created when ground coffee sits in landfills.
By transforming coffee grounds into compost, we’re also enriching soil health. Coffee grounds are incredibly nutrient-rich, particularly in nitrogen. Transforming grounds into compost enhances biodiversity, supports local ecosystems, and provides essential nutrients for growing food. It’s a win-win situation for the environment and local communities.
Locals making a difference
The success of this initiative would not be possible without our dedicated café partners. These local establishments have embraced sustainability efforts, recognising the importance of sustainability in their operations. By participating in the program, they’re not only reducing their environmental footprint but also engaging their customers in meaningful conversations about waste and sustainability.
The cafés involved are vibrant parts of their communities. Through this partnership, they’re leading the charge towards a more sustainable future. Whether it’s a morning cup of espresso or an afternoon flat white, every coffee served contributes to a larger purpose.
Do your bit
We believe that every cup of coffee can make a positive impact. We invite you to join us on this journey toward sustainability. Whether you’re a coffee lover, a gardening enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the planet, there’s a way for you to contribute.
Explore our partner cafés, learn more about Seed the Ground and Reground, and consider how you can incorporate sustainable practices into your daily life. Together, we can brew change and create a greener future for generations to come.
If you're a current Allpress Espresso café partner, or looking to come on board with us, and are interested to hear more about our Circular Coffee initiatives, please get in touch.
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