I really enjoy coffee. I am not a full-on coffee snob but I appreciate a quality product and I certainly want something more than just a caffeine bump. I like coffee culture so much that when I travel one of the first things, I do is research if there is a coffee spot with good potential near where I am staying.
So how does coffee fit in with LPC and our Environ-Mental approach? I see a lot of value in the community you see in a lot of coffee shops as it promotes metal wellbeing. A lot of times the barista knows the customers and that personal interaction is almost always positive and maybe even a highlight for the day. A coffee shop acts as social meeting place. I give Starbucks (no matter how you feel about the company or their coffee) a lot of credit for helping transform getting a cup of coffee at 7/11or the donut shop from a “grab and go” activity to a “sit, relax and enjoy” activity. The community aspect goes a long way to support mental wellbeing. Even if you are at the shop working with your headphones on you get a sense of belonging.
In general I think most passionate businesses within coffee are very conscious of the environment due to the importance of weather, soil and overall growing conditions. The reason I am writing this blog post is because of a particular aspect of sustainability by Blue Bottle Coffee. I recently saw that part of Blue Bottle’s commitment to the environment includes oat milk as the default milk option at no additional cost. Blue Bottle identified that dairy was the leading source of emissions from their cafes, so they sought the opportunity to go plant based and adjust what it means to be a milk alternative.
https://blog.bluebottlecoffee.com/posts/oat-milk-by-default
Blue Bottle also employs a whole list of sustainable actions that you can read about on their site.
https://blog.bluebottlecoffee.com/posts/timeline
In general, I really appreciate when an individual or company can look beyond the ubiquitous solutions of “recycle” or “organic” and look for innovative ways to support the environment.
Enjoy