Reducing the carbon footprint on the ecosystem is everyone’s job. That’s why many professionals like you in the hospitality sector have decided to transform their operations with the aim of turning their coffee shop into a planet-friendly business. More eco, greener, more sustainable.
what do you say? Do you want to do it too? Throughout this post we want to talk to you about eco-friendly cafeteria ideas. 8 tips that will help you make your coffee shop an eco-friendly business.
Read with us until the end so that you don’t miss out on the details. Let’s go for it!
Table of Contents
why create a sustainable coffee shop?
First of all, we want to tell you the reasons why you should create a sustainable coffee shop. Mainly because they are eco-friendly actions that generate positive synergies in the hospitality industry. These synergies have an impact both on the development of the activity and on your economic consolidation.
But these are not the only ones, there are many more. Let’s talk about the main ones!
Reputation
One of the strong points of taking green measures is that customers will perceive your brand better and give you more positive reviews. In the end, your reputation in the market will improve exponentially
Cost savings
By taking energy efficiency measures your energy bill costs will decrease. That means you can invest the capital you saved in other areas of your café to ensure operations at peak performance.
Tax benefits
Legislation rewards cafés that comply with corporate sustainability principles with tax benefits. We’re talking about your chance to look good in the eyes of the law in your locality.
Work climate
This type of measure can improve the working environment in your café and the productivity of your staff. It can also attract new talent, especially those who identify with these green actions.
Projection
Eco-friendly cafés are sustainable businesses. This means that you can stay competitive in the market, as you adapt to the new changes demanded by the sector.
8 Ideas to make your coffee shop more eco-friendly
Now, we will talk about 8 ideas that will help you to make your coffee shop greener. All of them are committed to living in a better, greener and more sustainable world:
1. Use sustainably grown coffee
Coffee is the most important resource in your coffee shop. That’s why it needs to be good enough so that your customers are motivated to come back for another cup.
For that, we advise you to turn to sustainable coffee suppliers. Organic farming allows you to enjoy a smoother texture, a stronger aroma and a flavour that will melt the palate of your customers.
It also allows you to show a planet-friendly image. That’s because it’s a way of expressing that you support production that doesn’t harm the natural habitat with the use of pesticides, herbicides, or harmful fertilisers.
2. Don’t print paper receipts
Common cafeteria receipts contain the harmful chemical BPA, a compound that does not allow them to be recycled. So they help to trigger negative effects on the environment, and your new purpose is to work towards ending this.
That’s why we advise you to turn to cloud-based POS systems. Especially because they can send digital receipts to your customers by email or text message, which is an eco-friendly and extremely practical alternative.
And it will even be a way of helping to reduce the felling of trees, which is where these receipts come from. You’ll see how over time customers will have a better perception of your brand.
3. Say yes to biodegradable packaging
If you want to get closer to turning your coffee shop into an eco-friendly business, go for biodegradable coffee packaging. These are environmentally friendly and come in a variety of models, such as cardboard cups.
These containers can be recyclable, reusable and compostable. So you have a second chance to keep using them in your business and get closer to reducing carbon emissions.
We also advise you to use straws made out of organic paper or rice to encourage an eco-friendly mentality
4. Embrace efficient use of water and electricity
It is important to curb the use of water and electricity in your hospitality business. This is one of the best ways to reduce carbon emissions and start acting positively for the planet.
Taking a green inventory is the first thing to do at this point. We are talking about buying energy-efficient coffee shop equipment, such as eco-friendly espresso machines.
You can also opt for energy-saving light bulbs. And of course, you need to take measures not to waste water in your cafeteria kitchen, if possible reuse it in the plants.
5. Stop wasting food
You need to stop throwing away leftover food in your cafeteria. Keep in mind that there are a considerable number of people begging and begging for food to keep from starving, so throwing it away is in bad taste.
There are no food waste apps where you can affiliate your business. This is a service that allows you to advertise a digital menu at the end of the day, with all the leftovers. This way users who are interested will buy.
Another measure to avoid wasting food is to restock in a more controlled way. This means that when you buy products from the store, you only take just enough to avoid the risk of them spoiling because they spend too much time in the store.
6. Get rid of dairy
In case you didn’t know, livestock farming is a source of methane production in the atmosphere. That means these livestock farms add to the climate crisis that is so damaging to our planet earth.
To put an end to this, you can replace the dairy products you use in your cafeteria. There are actually several viable alternatives such as soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk; etc.
By adopting this dairy-free policy you will attract vegan customers to your café. So not only does it help you leave a friendly footprint on the planet, but it also allows you to diversify your clientele.
7. Make it the essence of your brand
Make your eco-friendly actions the essence of your brand. If you create a fake set-up you will lose credibility with your potential customers, and your close rivals will surely take advantage of that to sink you.
So you must have a team that identifies with this type of eco-friendly actions. So that your customers who visit you will notice that you are really committed to the conservation of the planet.
There are other things you can do to make your coffee shop more environmentally responsible. For example, reuse leftover coffee grounds as fertiliser, or create cushions out of coffee sacks. Creativity is the key, so let the ideas flow.
8. Buy seasonal produce
Buying seasonal produce helps you contribute to the stability of the ecosystem. This is because it respects the natural cycle of production, without resorting to environmentally harmful agents such as herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers, etc.
Bear in mind that this is a way of reducing CO2 emissions into the environment. Especially because local production avoids transport from areas that are far away from your catering establishment
In addition, not only will you be making a positive contribution to the planet earth, but you can also help to promote local commerce. So we are talking about a double benefit that you should not refuse if you want to take that step towards sustainability in your business.
And before we say goodbye, we suggest that you reduce, reuse and recycle as much as you can in your hospitality business. It is important that you make a real commitment to our planet earth, to ensure a prosperous future for generations to come.
do you already know what you need to do to make your café an eco-friendly business?
