We at Small Batch have set a goal to reduce our carbon footprint by 70% by 2030. Whilst this feels like a big commitment, we think it’s our responsibility in business to operate with the environment at the forefront of everything we do. We’re anticipating making big changes over the next five years to achieve this goal, but you have to start somewhere!

Our continued commitment to sustainability means we will continually be implementing new ways to reduce our carbon footprint, within our supply chains, our roastery and cafes, but in the short term we have created an initial carbon reduction plan. Focusing on all three scopes, this four point plan is designed to help decrease our emissions in the areas of our business currently contributing to the bulk of our footprint.

Creating Insets

The growing, harvesting and processing of green coffee accounts for 53% of our roastery’s carbon emissions. Whilst this is a tricky figure to reduce without reducing the amount of coffee we can supply you, this is a great opportunity for the use of insets. By providing our coffee farmers with financial and educational support, they will be able to create insets that we can purchase off them, helping to offset some of this output. 

Dairy

The farming of dairy milk creates three times the carbon emissions than the production of dairy alternative milks, accounting for a large amount of our cafe’s footprint. Whilst we’re pleased that dairy alternatives make up 41% of our customers beverages, we’d like to look at ways to incentivise more customers to make the switch to a greener choice. A simple swap can go a long way to reducing the environmental impact of your drink! 

Energy

Similarly, our research showed large variation in the amount of carbon emissions different drinks in our cafe create. For example, did you know that a double latte made with cow’s milk has more than three times the footprint of a black americano? With this in mind, we will be looking at making drinks with a lower emissions output more competitively priced, in the hopes that more of our customers will choose a beverage that’s kinder to the environment and their wallets.

Waste

Waste is one of the biggest emissions contributors within the food and drink industry, and waste at our cafe contributes to 7% of our carbon output. Whilst we’re proud that this number is lower than the average, we can always strive to improve. We want to work with our community to close the loop on cafe waste, finding ways to reuse and recycle our coffee waste, reducing our contributions to landfill.

Transparency

Transparency will always be a priority within our business, so we are committing to continuing to share our carbon reduction journey with our customers openly and frequently. You can expect more blog posts, regular email information and updates via Instagram.