NEBRASKA CITY, NEB.—With the growing demand for greener practices for in-room hospitality, the demand for more sustainable coffee choices, including packaging, continues to grow. There is no denying single-serve capsules are here to stay, and with that in mind, the Arbor Day Coffee program has taken extra steps to minimize their impact on the planet by providing a recycling program to hospitality locations purchasing shade-grown Arbor Day Coffee.
Arbor Day Coffee is well known to be focused on roasting shade-grown coffee, yet what most may not know is their recent efforts in launching a recycling program for single-serve capsules, specifically catering to the hospitality industry.
Arbor Day coffee single-serve capsules are made with recyclable plastics, along with the lid made of recyclable aluminum material. The spent coffee grounds are then composted into soil at the final recycling and composting facility. All components of the capsule are recycled, leaving zero waste for hotels.
Capsules Returned for Recycling
The beauty of this program lies in its simplicity. The capsules are collected in a lined recycling box which includes an attached, prepaid return shipping label, which minimizes preparation for hotels, creating an easy process for staff to adopt in their routine. Once the box is full, it is sealed and sent to the recycling service for processing.
For in-room coffee service at hotels, guests can simply leave the used capsule either in or next to the machine, depending on the preference of the hotel. Cleaning staff can then collect and deliver spent coffee capsules to the recycling box which is normally stored with the rest of the recycled waste products. In an office or lobby environment, the recycling box can be positioned near the coffee maker for easy capsule collection.
For over 20 years, the Arbor Day Foundation has supported coffee farmers who participate in traditional, shade-grown coffee production, and have since made additional investments in planting trees, protecting water resources, and improving coffee quality by being directly involved throughout each of their entire coffee supply chains.
Impact of Climate Change
By 2050, half the land currently available for coffee will no longer be suitable for production. As global temperatures rise, coffee will seek cooler climates at higher elevations, drastically increasing the rate of deforestation. Additionally, it has been projected that consumption demands will double within the same time frame.
The future of coffee is concerning, which has driven the Arbor Day Coffee program to act quickly, in both their recycling efforts and investing in sourcing sustainable shade grown coffees. The Arbor Day Foundation works directly with coffee producers that have committed to continuing exceptional agroforestry management practices, such as integrating shade trees in coffee production, repairing buffer zones and restoring at-risk native forests.
Providing Shade Grown coffee is an important step, and by taking care of the impact within our consuming communities to help curb waste, the Foundation helps participate by closing an important loop of responsibility and stewardship to our planet.
To learn more on how your hotel can participate in the Arbor Day Coffee Recycling Program, contact (402) 817-9991 or e-mail jferguson@arborday.org.
