This month, a neighborhood coffee shop offers more than lattes and pastries. Blue Sparrow Coffee includes a detailed sustainability report, including water bills.
Since 2017, their coffee has been sustainable.
Food and beverage sustainability is fascinating since it’s customer-driven. Customer garbage created Blue Sparrow Coffee.
This year, their sustainability report is displayed in a complete gown.
“Local designer Alejandro Gaeta’s gown is the sustainability report’s star. It’s entirely store-made. Pastry bag bottoms. The flower has coffee-dipped to-go handles. Coffee and matcha color the dress. The outfit is made of single-use cups that were discarded and torn up. Mainspring sustainability analyst Sara Van Hatten.
Blue Sparrow is officially a Denver Certified Green Business, a rare designation.
“We have this full data report that’s very unusual for a coffee shop. “Identifying your water, waste, and energy usage,” stated Van Hatten. “We quarterly train our baristas on our sustainability efforts and why.”
Last year, they audited trash to find their top three contaminants.
Top, sugar packets.
We now buy bulk sugar and create glass-bottled syrups. Van Hatten noted that eliminating single portions reduces waste.
Coffee mugs.
They charge 10 cents for each cup taken out of the store to lower the price of alternative milks.
“Alternative milks are traditionally much more expensive than cow milk but we want to ensure that the more sustainable option is kept affordable for individuals,” said Van Hatten.
And napkins.
“This year, we are hoping to work with our suppliers to create reusable and recyclable lower waste products that we hope will have a larger impact not only for us, but the coffee industry as a whole,” said Van Hatten.
“No matter who does it, it’s not optional. “Baking sustainability into our DNA,” Van Hatten remarked.
Blue Sparrow will have interactive methods to view the full sustainability report on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, and the gown will be on display at their Platte Street location during the month.