Gone green!
A few years ago we decided to reduce our impact on the environment as much as possible. Already being an environmentally-minded company, we pushed further. We cleaned up our act even more, and worked closely with a local green business consultant, and as of April 2011, both of our locations are operating fully carbon neutral.
Looking at Habit Coffee, you can’t help but have faith in the green movement. With every company tacking on a green edge, Habit stands aside and embraces the concept of responsible business to its core. The Habit shops have become a playground for innovation and creativity, as they promote local artists and businesses. Habit has a certain air of raw elegance, while being full of life and lustre. From compost systems to direct-trade beans, Habit is a model triple-bottom-line business. —Jill Doucette, Synergy Green Businesses
- Waste Management
- Compost all organics, paper cups and paper towel
- Introduced full-on recycling program: soft plastics, cartons, everything is recycled
- Down to one landfill garbage bag per week!
- Customer paper cup and lid recycling and composting
- CFL lightbulb recycling
- Return shipping boxes from roastery to be reused for more deliveries
- Transportation
- Employees walk, bike or bus to work
- New custom Dutch cargo bike for deliveries between the two shops
- Energy & Water
- Chose CFL and LED lighting over incandescent
- Installed aerators in the faucets
- Spray apparatus used to reduce water when rinsing steam pitchers
- Hired Premier Linen Supply for laundry—the eco-friendly choice!
- Building
- Reclaimed flooring salvaged from over five wreck homes
- Salvaged white light fixtures from an old mine site
- Built tables from floor joists of demolished Cadboro Bay home
- Granite outdoor benches recycled from the old Telus building
- Purchasing
- Switched to pH-balanced, biodegradable and refillable cleaning products from the Soap Exchange
- Use recycled (or often reused) paper products in office
- Most importantly, we don’t buy crap we don’t need!
- Community & Education
- Donate bottle refunds to charity
- Work closely with coffee farmers in Africa and South America to encourage growth of high-quality coffees, rather than using heavy pesticides for lower quality crops
