Latte art, smoothies, and different kinds of treats, this has been my day-to-day work life for the last year.
Being a barista has never been my dream job or even a job I had in mind for myself, but it turned out to be one of my biggest passions.
I started working in a small coffee shop around 1.5 years ago, and being a good barista wasn’t the only thing that I wanted to achieve in this job, I also wanted to make a change. I feel like everywhere I go, I leave a little bit of myself behind, and this is often my environmental awareness. I hope to always be able to make a change. This is why I slowly started bringing my own sustainable ideas into my coffee shop. However, my path didn’t end there, it just continued when I got hired at another coffee shop. But let’s start from the beginning.
Between having to balance college, life as an international student, and having my first apartment, I had to figure out how to finance my lifestyle. For everyone who has ever been, or knows, an international student or immigrant living in the U.S., we know that legally getting a job isn’t as easy as it sounds. For the first few months, I wasn’t able to work or earn any money, which made my life really hard. However, after about four months, I applied for a job.
Honestly, I just applied for something my friends told me would be easy and fun to do. I didn’t even know what I was getting into. But after having my interview and actually getting accepted, I started working at this small college café in Building 27. And it was one of the coolest things ever. I loved the staff and, of course, the free drinks and snacks I was able to enjoy. Slowly, being a barista became part of my identity.
During my winter quarter, I also had to take an environmental class. For our final, we had to research a problem our community faced regarding the environment. I immediately knew that I wanted to compare my experiences from my home country, Germany, and the U.S. Because even though it might not seem like it, Germany had and still has a really different approach to environmental issues. There are also certain reasons behind these differences. (I actually posted my essay, so feel free to read it if you want to know more.)
While researching Germany’s and America’s behaviors toward plastic, I started seeing my environment differently. I realized that not only politics, but even my community, like the café I worked at or the school I attended, handled plastic consumption differently. One example that shocked me the most was America’s way of getting a simple cup of water. If you think about it, a single iced water wastes a ton of plastic. You don’t only need the plastic cup and lid, but also a plastic straw. And because the plastic being used is single-use plastic, you can normally throw it away right after. This way a lot of waste is produced.
With this post, I hope to show you how to not only make coffee more sustainable as a barista or even as an owner, but I also want to make you look around your own community and find ways to improve it.
There are both bigger and smaller changes one can make to create a more sustainable café. Workers like me, and many others, often think that they can’t change anything because they don’t have a say in which machines are used and how energy-efficient they are. But often there are small changes that can already make a big difference.
If this reaches you and you are a coffee shop owner who wants to know more about creating a sustainable café, you can click on this YouTube video that offers great tips (https://youtu.be/jjRK0d07aEo?si=S40I3eoOw_MOL5-7).
You don’t have to own a café or manage a business to make a difference. Even a simple barista can come up with ideas and solutions that have the potential to create real change. The most important step is starting the conversation. The more people talk about sustainability and bring attention to these issues, the more likely it is that change will happen. Never underestimate the impact your voice can have. If your manager or café owner truly wants to improve and grow, they will appreciate your ideas and recognize that your suggestions come from a place of care – for the café, the community, and the environment.
OWN CUP
One of the biggest sources of waste comes from paper cups and plastic cups. One of the easiest ways to reduce waste is by encouraging customers to bring their own reusable bottle or cup, which can be filled with their drink instead of using a disposable one.
There is another system I recently came across called Recup. It is a Munich-based company, and I first heard about it from a customer while we were talking about bringing your own cup. He explained to me that Recup uses reusable cups that they give out for a small extra charge. You can then return the cup once you have finished your coffee, and you will get your deposit back. I loved this idea and program, which is why I was even happier when I visited a university café and saw that they were using Recup. The cup cost an extra dollar, which I got back right after returning it.
You can even be more creative. Another thing we did was create our own reusable cups that we started selling at the coffee shop. We made sure to use organic or recycled materials. Whenever you brought one of these cups for your coffee, we would give you a 20% discount. This encouraged customers not only to buy our new cups but also to use them regularly.
TO-GO BOXES
One thing I recently came across on Instagram was recycled milk cartons that were turned into cup holders. Just use the empty milk cartons you would usually throw away, vegan milk cartons work especially well. With a knife or a pair of scissors, cut off the top part and make two X-shaped cuts. And voilà, you will get your new cup holder that can fit two cups of almost any size. This is a great alternative and can even save some money.
I sent this video to my boss a couple of weeks ago, and he really loved the idea. So we stopped buying to-go cup holders and started making them ourselves.
FAIRTRADE PRODUCTS
Another great way to not only support the planet but also farmers and workers is by using Fairtrade products. Most cafés choose their products based on price and taste, but there are so many more aspects to consider. Most cafés use beans or syrups from big brands rather than supporting local companies. Partnering with local brands could strengthen both businesses and is often a more personal approach for a coffee shop. You can also help the environment by reducing the CO₂ emissions created during long-distance transportation.
VEGAN ALTERNATIVES
Another major component that you can easily include is offering more vegan options. A vegan diet, in general, is much better for the planet. Trying to create and promote more vegan alternatives could encourage people to choose vegan options more often.
ADD LOW-WASTE AND REFILLABLE OPTIONS
The Recup system is a great example here, but other products like glass straws or reusable cloth bags could also be good options. Glass straws, for example, create minimal waste and can be reused multiple times.
Also, consider adding real mugs to your café. The first coffee shop I worked at only offered to-go items. As a result, a lot of waste was created. At the same time, many people stayed at the café or nearby to enjoy their food and drinks. By simply offering mugs that can be washed and reused, a lot of waste can be reduced.
Try to avoid as much plastic as possible. Change plastic cutlery to paper or reusable alternatives. And instead of using disposable cups, choose recycled or reusable options whenever possible.
MAKE IT PART OF YOUR MARKETING
You may not realize it, but there are actually many people who care about this aspect. Try to market the sustainability aspect of your café to attract more customers. This way, you can not only attract more business but also raise awareness. People who haven’t thought about this issue before may learn more about the impact they can make through small changes, such as simply choosing a different cup.
I hope these tips helped you and I’d love to hear more suggestions in the comments
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